Right to Protein, ahead of India's third annual Protein Day celebration on 27th February, declares 'Food Futurism' as the theme for 2022 as it takes ahead its mission to drive food and especially protein sufficiency in the country through awareness, advocacy, and action.

Right to Protein, ahead of India's third annual Protein Day celebration on 27th February, declares 'Food Futurism' as the theme for 2022. Its mission is to drive food and especially protein sufficiency in the country through awareness, advocacy, and action. 'Food Futurism' as a conversation will bring together nutrition experts, food scientists, biologists, among others to help Indians better understand the basic science behind healthy nutrition and its role in food security and protein sufficiency.

The pandemic highlighted the need to "build back better" sustainably. The effects of global warming on agriculture and the inequality in access to food have further necessitated a paradigm shift in how one thinks about food. Emerging scientific innovations present us with a growing range of opportunities to transform the food and agriculture structures to fulfill the vision of a hunger-free India. Therefore, through this educative initiative, this year, Right to Protein will be initiating informed discussions and dialogues about the role of science and how methods such as genetically engineered foods can have in achieving food security. The discussions will address genuine concerns, misperceptions, and 'GMO anxiety' among other topics.

Supporting the effort, Varun Deshpande, managing director of Good Food Institute India (GFI India) says, "In the face of challenges like climate change and pandemics, India needs a more secure, sustainable, and just food system. Reimagining our protein supply is key to that future. Plant-based foods and other smart protein sources are a generational opportunity to align planetary health stewardship, public health resilience, and economic growth. But to bring delicious, sustainable protein onto plates across the country, we need to invest in science, develop talent, and bridge knowledge gaps. We are glad to support Food Futurism as the theme of Protein Day 2022 to achieve these goals in service of a better future."

Dr Suresh Itapu, Nutraceutical Expert, director - NutriTech India, Human Nutrition Consultant – USSEC and Supporter of the Right To Protein initiative said, "As with any stream of science, we've often looked at different nuances of 'food science' with skepticism mainly due to lack of knowledge leading to confusion, overblown fears, and myths. For instance, our concern about GMOs stems from a lack of awareness of how genes function – it is simply a production technique. I believe that Food Futurism as the theme for Protein Day 2022 will help address some of these apprehensions while enhancing our scientific understanding as we collectively deliver on our larger food security and sufficiency goals."

Since the inception of India's first Protein Day in 2020, Right To Protein is all set to complete a treble, where like-minded citizens, nutritionists, food industry experts, chefs, and brands will come together to raise awareness and take a step towards making India a protein sufficient country through food science.