Substituting 20 % of meat from cattle with microbial protein — a meat alternative produced in fermentation tanks — by 2050 could halve deforestation, a new analysis finds. The market-ready meat alternative is very similar in taste and texture, but is a biotech product which — by replacing beef — involves much less land resources and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land-use change. This goes under the assumption of a growing world population’s increasing appetite for beefy bites, and it is the first time researchers have projected the development of these market-ready meat substitutes into the future, assessing their potential impact on the environment.