Thursday, May 2, 2019

Phasing out Meat

If today's Beyond Meat's IPO on Wall Street is any indication, investor sentiment has shifted in favor of plant-based food.  Indeed, Impossible Burger, another company that offers a plant-based meat substitute, will soon be selling its product through Burger King restaurants.

No doubt, the younger generation's focus on a healthy diet and on minimizing our impact on the environment is playing a major role in this cultural shift.  In addition to concerns regarding the inhumane treatment of livestock, there is a great deal of evidence that meat production wastes fresh water, consumes much (if not most) of our grain production and pollutes our air and water; methane production by cattle is thought to be a significant factor in man-induced global warming.

Natural carnivores, humans won't be giving up meat anytime soon but unbridled population growth and unchecked climate change may force a shift to plant-based nutrition.  Fortunately, Millennials and their children, facing a planetary crisis, will likely accelerate that transition.

See also: A Plant-based Diet