BUNKHOUSE
fake meat, fake news
industry and americans ever-vigilant to “facts” by CCA Executive Vice President Billy Gatlin If you were to believe the media there’s a mass vegan wave sweeping the country as people switch out their beef burgers for vegan alternatives like Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger. There’s no doubt these vegan alternatives have been catapulted into the mainstream by Hollywood celebrities and events like the Oscars and Academy Awards substituting meat for a vegan and vegetarian options. Restaurants like Carl’s Jr. and Burger King have joined several other restaurants in offering vegan burgers. Just last month Denny’s devoted a full day to giving away vegan burgers to its customers. If you’re tempted to try one, free is the right price. Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger, two of the most popular vegan burger options, are novel new products whose demand is largely driven by curious meat-eating consumers and vegans and vegetarians who crave a product that tastes like beef. While these products have enjoyed tremendous growth over the last year, they are not replacing consumers’ demand for beef burgers. Burger King’s introduction of the Impossible Whopper increased sales of their all-beef Whooper. Even more telling is that per capita meat consumption continues to climb in the U.S. Meanwhile, the proportion of consumers identifying as vegan remains stable at around 1 to 2 percent of the U.S. population. While the number of vegans remains constant, it’s safe to assume that the popularity of vegan products like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger will continue to rise. The public will remain curious and want to sample these products. The novelty of these products will continue to draw celebrity endorsers looking to cash in and make big bucks promoting these products. Fast food chains will continue to expand their offerings of these products to bring in new customers and drive an increase in sales. All of this will continue to drive media attention. Meanwhile, meat and beef demand will quietly be increasing. While I am not concerned with the immediate impact these products will have on beef demand and sales, I am concerned with the messages that are being attached to these vegan products: that they are healthier and better for the environment than beef. These claims could have a lasting impact if they go uncontested. We cannot let the public be duped into believing that eating one of these ultra-processed products is better for their health than beef, or that importing some ultra-processed ingredients from around the world to be assembled in a factory is better for the environment than a beef burger sourced from California farmers and ranchers. We cannot afford to get sucked into the media hype of these products and must resist the urge to respond to every headline. On the other hand, we cannot afford to be dismissive of the powerful corporations producing these products and the lies they will peddle to boost their sales. These corporate giants are beholden to their Wall Street investors and venture capitalists and they will do anything to drive profits and deliver big paydays for their investors. 6 California Cattleman March 2020
The media and those that thrive off controversy will try to make this about ranchers being opposed to something new that’s threatening their livelihood. They’ll claim we are stuck in the past and that we refuse to embrace change. That couldn’t be further from the truth. This isn’t rancher vs. vegan. This isn’t rancher vs. farmer. Or any other rancher vs. “them” narrative that BILLY GATLIN someone might try to create. Every rancher I knows eats vegetables. I encourage you to eat your vegetables. Ranchers are not only pro-vegetable, they are pro-farmer. Ranchers and their families have been eating plant-based diets for centuries. Steak and potatoes is almost as ubiquitous as peanut butter and jelly. Personally, a tri-tip dinner doesn’t quite seem complete without some fresh California asparagus. Ranchers are not trying to eliminate vegetables from the dinner plate. Ranchers have no interest in eliminating the Impossible Burger, Beyond Burger or the next lab created food product. Boca Burgers have been around for three decades and food giant Kraft still sells millions of these veggie burgers every year. Ranchers aren’t trying to eliminate fruits, vegetables or any combination of them. We’re pro nutrition and pro balanced diet. We also embrace desserts, beer, wine and all the finer things produced by farmers and ranchers. We were “foodies” before it was even a word. The real issue, and what ranchers find offensive, is having a corporation create an imitation beef product in a lab, source ingredients from around the world, assemble those ingredients in a factory and try to convince consumers that their product tastes the same as real beef. And when they fail to replicate the taste of real beef, they resort to fear tactics and lies. These companies are spending millions of dollars on advertising campaigns to make false claims about beef nutrition and beef production to help sell their products. All while boldly claiming they want to eliminate their competition – animal agriculture. The truth is beef wins on taste, nutrition and environmental protection. We have a brand that’s worth imitating, which means it a brand worth protecting. That’s the message we must deliver. While we are not a billion-dollar corporation and don’t have access to the deep pockets of venture capitalists, we do have the truth on our side and that’s invaluable. We will not be discouraged. We will continue promoting beef while highlighting the lies and half truths many of these corporations are attempting to deliver to consumers. Once consumers know the truth about fake meat products, I believe they will enjoy the same fate as the “healthy” fake butter alternative, margarine.
