Episode 3: Are alternative proteins going to wipe out the dairy industry?

Alternative proteins such as dairy proteins produced through precision fermentation are now a reality globally. But what does it mean for New Zealand? Is this stuff grown in industrial vats a genuine threat to our livestock industries? In this episode, our expert AgResearch senior scientist Scott Knowles outlines whatprecision fermentation is, how it might fit alongside conventional dairy production and what opportunities could be seized by New Zealand to add value to its existing markets (including the interesting role forestry waste might play). To round out the episode, we’ll also hear about other technological advances that are driving research and innovations in agriculture. Our IT infrastructure and security manager Ben Taylor talks about the challenge of handling large volumes of data and the computing power now available; while senior data scientist Sam Hitchman discusses how new tools are making it much faster and easier to investigate issues such as methane output from animals. To learn more about anything you’ve heard in this episode, visit:www.agresearch.co.nz/podcast/. Find out more about research happening in the precision fermentation space, visit:https://www.agresearch.co.nz/our-research/precision-fermentation/ Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Authority approved an application from Daisy Lab Limited to produce dairy-identical proteins using genetically modified organisms in a contained facility. Read more here: https://www.epa.govt.nz/news-and-alerts/latest-news/epa-approves-precision-fermentation-of-milk-proteins/ More about use of new technologies in research, such as Artificial Intelligence, here:https://www.agresearch.co.nz/artificial-intelligence/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.