Paradoxes at The Heart of Protein Transition

Leila Mehdizadehtapeh (Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Health Sciences Faculty, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Türkiye)

Journal of Applied Food Technology
Vol 13, No 2 (2026): Article in progress

Research highlights that while alternative proteins hold significant promise for reducing the environmental burden of food systems, their widespread adoption is entangled in a web of structural, nutritional, commercial, and societal paradoxes. The literature collectively points to a fundamental tension: the protein transition is being pursued through substitution rather than reduction, processing rather than simplification, and market expansion rather than systemic reform. This study, therefore, aims to synthesize and rephrase the key evidence across paradoxes at the heart of protein transition through a comprehensive literature survey based on the Fermi Paradox. Overall, the findings suggest that core paradoxes of the protein transition explain why alternative proteins often maintain, rather than disrupt existing systems; but achieving a meaningful and equitable protein transition requires systemic reform that goes beyond ingredient substitution to address overconsumption, processing trade-offs, and governance gaps.