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How vegan burgers can help save the planet
- Global meat consumption is projected to increase despite the availability of sustainable alternatives, driven by decades of promotion and a consumer base where 76% express environmental concern but only 26% are willing to stop eating meat, with two-thirds preferring a life ending five to 10 years earlier over giving up meat.
- The current global meat production volume stands at 327 million tonnes annually, a system responsible for approximately one-third of world greenhouse gas emissions, nearly half of which stem from crop and livestock production, creating a trajectory that could push global warming over 1.5 and likely over two degrees if business as usual continues.
- The alternative protein sector, valued at $29.4 billion in 2020, is forecast to reach $162 billion by the end of the decade, while Impossible Foods claims its burger produces 89% fewer greenhouse gases, uses 87% less water, and requires 96% less land than animal equivalents.
- A full global transition to a plant-based diet could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%, though this is considered unachievable given that only 5% of Americans identify as vegetarian and 2% as vegan with numbers remaining steady for years.
- Cultured meat holds the potential to reduce global warming impact by up to 92% and offer orders of magnitude better outcomes in carbon, land, and water usage compared to current production, provided it scales beyond its current laboratory phase where environmental costs remain high.
- Policy engagement comparable to the transportation, energy, and built environment sectors is predicted as necessary for the food industry to achieve environmental sustainability, as consumer choice alone is insufficient to drive the required shift away from meat-heavy diets.
- A shift toward diets containing less meat or full plant-based adoption is described as necessary for a "just transition" for livestock producers, while innovative businesses may currently face the reality of incremental progress with products that consumers find not yet persuasive.
- Scalable alternative proteins and future plant-based diets are expected to yield very positive environmental effects, though this transition is predicted to cause economic anxiety for livelihoods dependent on traditional meat production.