10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 2025

Edward Anderson Senior Climate and Disaster Resilience Specialist, World Bank Kathrin Gabriele Kind Chief Data Scientist, Cognizant Technology SolutionsDavid Julian McClements Professor at the Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts Patrick Rose Innovation Manager, Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIN-D) Over one-third of the world’s protein consumption comes from animal sources,3 making animal agriculture a major driver of land conversion, freshwater use, greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient pollution. Precision fermentation can generate identical or near-identical proteins without animals, using microbes that have been optimized to produce them.4 By mitigating the need to harvest nutritionally relevant proteins from animals, this approach could help reduce pressure on planetary boundaries related to climate change, land-system change, freshwater use, biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity loss. In precision fermentation, microbes such as yeast, fungi or bacteria are optimized through DNA modification to produce specific proteins and other high-value target molecules. Optimized microbes are grown on a large scale in steel tanks called bioreactors, where, under tightly controlled conditions, they convert simple feedstocks like sugar into useful products through fermentation – a natural microbial process that breaks down nutrients and releases energy. After fermentation, the desired ingredients are separated and refined. Independent life cycle assessments suggest that precision fermentation, when coupled with renewable energy inputs and sustainable feedstock sourcing, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 72-97%, cut water use by 81-99%, and lower land use by up to 99% compared to conventional dairy protein production.5,6 Precision fermentation has expanded rapidly in the food sector, through companies like Perfect Day,7 and is currently being used to produce dairy proteins like casein and whey for cheeses and yoghurts, egg proteins like ovalbumin for baked goods and emulsifiers, and meat-like molecules that replicate colour, flavour and texture in plant- based meats, among many others.8 This method is also reducing reliance on low-yield, fossil fuel- intensive chemical synthesis for many substances, including vitamins, pigments, flavours, cosmetic ingredients, biodegradable textile coatings and pharmaceutical compounds such as insulin and monoclonal antibodies.9 In the food industry, the first commercial, animal-free whey protein was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020.10 Commercial facilities are now scaling up production in multiple regions, with food-grade products approved by authorities in jurisdictions including the European Union, Israel, the US and Singapore.11 Wider adoption of precision fermentation could affect not only the environmental impacts of animal agriculture, but also bolster the economic systems and supply chains connected to food, cosmetics and materials. Environmentally, it could reduce demand for feed crops, easing the planetary boundary related to land-system change; lower water and energy use, supporting freshwater sustainability; cut methane emissions from livestock, addressing climate change; and curb fertilizer runoff, improving biogeochemical cycles. However, high energy requirements and the need for refined sugar inputs may limit climate benefits unless these systems are powered by renewables and coupled with sustainable feedstocks. Economically, precision fermentation is already changing how dairy proteins and speciality ingredients are used and sourced, with broader impacts likely across food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and materials industries. As costs fall and infrastructure expands, new job opportunities may emerge in biomanufacturing, process engineering, food innovation and microbial design. By investing in modular microbial manufacturing, regional strain development and accessible inputs, governments and industry could ensure that precision fermentation supports broader participation in ingredient production – reducing dependence on animal agriculture and helping low- and middle- income regions build climate-resilient food systems. Precision fermentation can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 72-97%, cut water use by 81-99%, and lower land use by up to 99%. 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 8