Officials from Canada and the United States will launch the Protein Highway initiative this summer to brand six U.S. states and three Canadian provinces as the region with potential to become the world’s biggest supplier of protein, says the Pierre (SD) Capital Journal. “The Protein Highway name would also be used to help encourage collaboration across the Canadian and state borders on research into new products from protein-rich crops.”
With the world population forecast to reach 9 billion by mid-century, a White Paper written by a pair of Canadian researchers says the central and northern Great Plains could prosper by growing protein-rich crops that could be used to fatten livestock and directly in the human food chain.
High-protein crops such as lentils, dry edible beans and peas have great potential in the region, says the White Paper. South Dakota State University is looking into Ethiopian mustard seed, first planted in Canada as a feedstock for biofuels. The crushed seeds show promise as livestock feed. The Canada consul general in Minneapolis said the Protein Highway could help farmers by increasing demand for their products and allowing them to diversify their crop choices.
The Protein Highway region would include the states of South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Montana and Iowa, and the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.