The UK has launched a major new initiative that seeks to radically transform the food supply by replacing traditional meat and dairy products with “planet-friendly alternatives,” such as insects.

In the UK, a 50-million-dollar nationwide centre has been established to research and develop insect-based “foods” and lab-grown “meats,” according to Slay News.

The centre is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Innovate UK, and three universities. The project aims to create “acceptable and planet-friendly alternatives to animal proteins.”

Launched by the University of Leeds, the virtual research center will examine lab-grown “meat. The project seeks to determine the health, sustainability, and feasibility of eliminating traditional meat in the general public’s food supply.

The National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) has a mission to develop “acceptable and planet-friendly alternatives to animal proteins.”

The centre is set to research alternatives to animal proteins, particularly from insects, plants, fungi, algae, and meat grown in labs.

A statement by the organizations said replacing traditional agriculture with “alternative protein sources” is “critical if we are to meet increasing demands sustainably.”

Alternative proteins are derived from sources other than animals and include terrestrial and aquatic plants, insects, proteins derived via biomass or precision fermentation and cultured meat.

Over 30 researchers from the institutions will work with the farming industry, regulators, investors and policymakers to create a “vibrant alternative protein innovation ecosystem.”

In a statement about the project, the organisation underlined that “animal agriculture is estimated to produce up to a fifth of planet-warming emissions, and with the global population projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, the demand for protein is expected to rise significantly. Some sources, such as the UN Environment Programme, estimate meat consumption alone could grow up to 50 percent by 2050.”

“We need to find more sustainable sources of protein and thankfully there is a huge biodiversity in non-animal sources of protein, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of this,” the statement reads.