Nigel Sizer, a veteran environmental advocate who spent decades protecting forests and shaping climate policy, is now tackling what he sees as one of the most critical environmental challenges of our time: how we produce meat. As the newly appointed CEO of the Good Food Institute (GFI), Sizer believes transforming our food system could be the key to addressing multiple global crises simultaneously.

“Our food system drives many crises, but it also has huge potential to be part of the solution,” Sizer explained in a recent interview. He’s championing alternative proteins—including plant-based options, fermentation-derived products, and lab-grown meat from cultivated animal cells—as powerful tools to reduce deforestation pressure, slash greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize the risk of animal-to-human disease transmission.

Drawing on his experience launching Global Forest Watch, a groundbreaking satellite system for monitoring deforestation at the World Resources Institute, Sizer plans to build coalitions among diverse stakeholders. His strategy involves uniting farmers, scientists, regulators, and investors around the shared goal of making protein production a force for climate resilience and economic growth.

Sizer’s immediate focus is refreshingly practical: securing government and development bank funding for alternative protein projects, similar to the public investment that accelerated renewable energy adoption. He argues this approach would create jobs, improve nutrition, and protect biodiversity before environmental tipping points are reached. Crucially, he emphasizes including traditional farmers and producers in this transition, advocating for diversified crops and supply chains that benefit existing agricultural communities rather than displacing them.