What did the study find about replacing beef with mycoprotein?

• A. Replacing 20% of beef with mycoprotein would increase deforestation.
• B. Replacing 20% of beef with mycoprotein would have no effect on deforestation.
• C. Replacing 20% of beef with mycoprotein would reduce deforestation by a quarter over thirty years.
• D. Replacing 20% of beef with mycoprotein could cut deforestation by half over thirty years.

Answer: (D)

Substituting beef with mycoprotein changes land use: beef production requires a lot of land for grazing and for growing cattle feed, while mycoprotein is produced by fermentation and uses far less land. When 20% of beef demand is replaced, the demand for pasture and feed drops, easing pressure on forests. Over thirty years, that saved land can stay forested or reforest, and the benefits accumulate over time as market demand shifts. The study’s finding that deforestation could be reduced by about half reflects this long-term, compounding effect of lower land-use pressure. The other options underestimate the impact or assume no effect, which doesn’t fit with how much land-use differences can influence deforestation over decades.