New, high-tech plant-based substitutes are “a whole new animal”
Saving the environment can be good for business, and many industries offering sustainable solutions are booming. Places from small islands such as Taiwan to the rolling tundra of Siberia are starting to seriously utilize wind energy. Wave energy solutions are becoming ever more practical and affordable. The number of eco-friendly transport solutions being brought to market is astounding. There are electric versions of virtually all types of vehicles, and they are entering the market faster than some had predicted. Depending on where you live, you might have already noticed that a bus plying your city streets or even a ferry going between short waterways is now powered by batteries. Solar panels are going up everywhere. It’s an exciting time to live in… if you’re an optimist.
Another area in the eco-friendly business world is getting billions in startup money, but perhaps isn’t yet being seen as the potential cash cow it could be. This industry, however, could also do more to protect the planet from climate change than many fleets of electric cars. The business of meat substitutes, or plant-based meat, is now, you might say, in its “3.0” iteration. Years ago, there were halfway decent substitutes such as bean-based burgers that were acceptable for vegetarians or vegans but not generally craved by the general public. Then in the 2.0 phase, we saw the rise of some serious attempts to mimic the taste and texture of meat. We’re talking about those ‘bleeding’ burgers and other options that went quite a few degrees further in the direction of meat. But now, at 3.0, the science has finally caught up… in much the same way that 20 years ago electric cars were risky bets whereas today they are just as good – and depending on the situation – even superior to combustion engine vehicles.
How plant-based meat is a greater profit generator?
The reason the business of plant-based meat is possibly a greater profit generator is simple. Everyone needs to eat. Not everyone requires a new form of transportation. But whether you pedal, drive, or ride the subway, you need to eat… and the majority of human consumers enjoy eating meat. There’s no shame in this. Radical vegan activists who attempt to change minds with slogans such as “Meat is Murder” perhaps can be forgiven as they see the issue as binary and are usually earnest in their beliefs. But it’s hardly a persuasive point. All carnivorous or omnivorous animals eat other animals for food. Humans have been eating meat for a very long time and it is beyond a doubt part of our evolutionary heritage. A more persuasive argument against meat-eating could be the fact that it’s simply no longer a sustainable option. Climate change and overcrowding, (estimates say we could have nine billion people on the planet within a few decades), equal – to take one example – a shrinking amount of drinking water. How can using several thousand gallons of that water for the creation of roughly a pound of animal flesh continue when people are thirsty? And that’s leaving aside the health risks of many types of meat, plus the massive problem of methane emissions and horrific pollution caused by the meat industry – especially in the practice of factory farming.
One solution would be to eat much less meat and pay a much higher price for it. Prices would need to go up perhaps several hundred percent, and having a beef stew would be something you enjoyed once a month… if you were fortunate enough. This solution is not attractive to most people. Especially not to newly-affluent individuals in societies such as China, who have only recently gotten to where they can afford to consume meat in the way those in the West have been doing for many decades. A better solution could be found in science. Over recent years, scientists, butchers, taste testers, chefs, and businesspeople have worked hard to create what some are terming ‘alternative’ or ‘new meat.’ It’s completely vegan but made with the latest in scientific advancements in the understanding of taste and texture. Some of this meat is printed with a 3D printer with layers of ‘alternative fat’ or ‘alternative muscle’ adding to the sensation of eating, say, a steak. –But this is vegan steak.
The results are currently being sold in select restaurants, but within a year you should start to see it popping up on menus near you. And the consensus so far is that these high-tech meat mimickers have gotten it right – scoring as high as 90% for ‘meatiness.’ Should this prove to be your experience after tasting it, why wouldn’t you opt for the option that’s environmentally friendly, better for your health, and does away with any ethical or moral concerns? And remember, this is ‘3.0.’ Give them five years and it may get to the point where you prefer the vegan version. Most people don’t consume meat because they enjoy knowing it comes from a dead animal. Most eat meat for its sensations: taste, texture, and smell. If science can recreate these to the satisfaction of most, it will be sensational – for both the planet and for the bottom line of these high-tech meat substitute companies.
