Transformations in global animal protein chains. A new starting point for public policies

Abstract

This article argues that innovation has shifted from agriculture to food led by actors not committed to the traditional agrifood system but motivated by global concerns of food security. China´s extraordinary economic growth is currently driving the global demand for animal protein with Brazil as its principal supplier, and although currently China is overwhelmingly dependent on Brazil´s exports, it is striving to diversify its sources and modify its consumption practices. Included in these strategies is support for radical alternative animal protein options. We conclude that although official projections suggest the continuation of long-term demand for traditional forms of animal protein and, therefore, also for the continued dynamism of Brazil´s grains/meat sectors, China´s systemic combination of policies to reduce its external dependence require that Brazil, and its neighbours in the Conesul, address the need for more radical reconversion policies than currently envisaged.