Political studies professor Ryan Katz-Rosene presents the case for embracing complexity when it comes to making dietary choices. Join the conversation on October 25-26 when 30 experts gather on campus for the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue on the future of protein.
“The Paleoketoveganmacrofasting Diet: Stop the Madness!!!” This was the amusing title of a recent presentation by Dr. Shawn Arent, a kinesiology professor at Rutgers University. The talk was aimed at personal trainers, but for the rest of us the title hinted at the madness of all the emerging (and in some cases conflicting) dietary practices surrounding protein that appear to be gaining credence in North America, based on various beliefs about what qualifies as a “healthy,” “ethical” or “sustainable” food.
If present trends are any measure, the madness is likely to continue. This is because a wide range of forces are working in the background to profoundly reshape the global agri-food sector. For instance, the world’s population is growing at a tremendous pace, and with more than 200,000 additional mouths to feed on the planet every day, experts expect a struggle in meeting demand for nutritious food.
At the same time, hundreds of millions of people are being lifted out of extreme poverty, and along with rising incomes globally, the demand for meat — one of the traditional foods through which humans acquire protein — has grown significantly, putting additional pressure on land and resources.
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