Meat is heavily ingrained in the American culture, whether it be having a turkey on Thanksgiving or enjoying a hot dog at a baseball game. However, advancements in food technology along with shifting narratives on how the meat industry operates have led to doubts on how much meat we might be eating in the future. Consider these reasons why we might end up seeing the death of meat someday.
Plant-based substitutes
Meat-free options like veggie burgers have been around for a long time like tofu and veggie burgers. These items often aren’t a replacement for having meat as they carry a unique taste that often doesn’t compare with what you get from meat. However, companies like Impossible Foods have been working for a long time to create food that tastes very close or exactly like the meat we eat daily but without having to kill an animal directly for it. This has been proven successful through the launch of various products like the Impossible Burger at Burger King. While these products typically end up being more expensive than traditional meat, more consumers are switching over to these options which means they are likely to end up cheaper over time as production increases. One day, you’ll likely end up eating plant-based substitutes for meat whether you directly seek them out or not.
Environment
Countries all around the world have been concerned for a while now about what they can do to combat climate change. This has been done by enacting laws limiting dangerous commercial production and requiring the future need for electric cars to be sold instead of gasoline-based cars. Another large fear to consider though is how meat production can affect the environment. As cattle begin to grow for either meat or milk production, they end up producing methane that ends up going back into the atmosphere. Since it’s not possible to really change how much methane production goes on from cattle other than potentially changing their diet, it’s a good idea to look into either limiting or straight up giving up meat production. By giving up meat production and going with plant-based substitutes instead, businesses and countries can work together on ways to ensure their factories aren’t doing nearly as much damage to the environment as cattle do. Whether you have a role in the government or simply want to look into ways that you can damage your environment less, think about how much meat plays negatively into it.
