Are Faux Animal Products the New Sustainable Future?

By Alejandra Aguilar

A New Sustainable Future of Food?

We often hear of people who wish they could be more health conscious in making decisions about food. Advances in methods for preparing meat-free choices that not only aid your health and well-being, but the environment as well? There is a growing trend in popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets as people become more aware of the nuances of conventional agricultural practices, which come with environmentally destructive consequences.

There are many misconceptions that lead to criticism of the plant-based diet movement. Many speculate that a diet which lacks meat also lacks sufficient nutrients. In reality, increasing the amount of plant-based foods you consume can improve your quality of life. Choosing a plant-based diet also enables increasing demand for the production of sustainable agriculture.

At a growing pace, the plant-based meat industry is also transforming to meet the rising environmental standards of society. In terms of increasing sustainability of agricultural practices, reducing industrial production of chicken, beef, and pork lessens run-off of manure, fertilizers, pesticide, in addition to less overall water usage. Matching this trend in consumer preference, the demand for the production of plant-based animal products has intensified the opportunity to purchase these alternative food products.

Currently, 15% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the agriculture industry, but there are alternative methods to a meat-based demand that significantly lower emissions and help feed the global population. By switching to a more plant-based diet, consumers can help to curb climate change while maintaining a nutrient dense diet.

What Are Plant-Based Meat Alternatives?

Companies have successfully produced several faux meat and cheese product alternatives. Plant-based meat and cheese alternatives are made out of plants but are

prepared in ways which imitate the attractive qualities of meat and cheese. Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have gained nationwide attention for their impressive mimicry of meat in various forms.

A life cycle assessment report conducted by Quantis, a leading sustainability consulting firm which compares plant-based and-meat-based foods, finds that a plant-based diet can have sizable positive implications for consumer footprint. The study takes into account carbon footprint, water use, resource consumption, health impact of pollution and ecosystem quality. The study concluded that, “when an American adult chooses to consume a meatless breakfast, lunch or dinner rather than one that contains meat, the decreased environmental impact of the meatless meal is a reduction on average of at least 40%, across impact metrics” (Detting 2). For consumers who aim to make a positive contribution to mitigating climate change, the plant-based diet may serve as an impactful lifestyle change.

A life cycle assessment conducted by Michigan found that, “The Beyond Meat burger uses 99% less water, 93% less land and 90% less fossil fuel emissions; the Impossible Burger uses 87% less water, 96% less land, and 89% less fossil fuel emissions than a quarter pound of regular ground beef” (Roos 2). Companies such as Impossible Foods have recently become available in fast food chains such as Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. These new options provide tasty, convenient and costeffective access to an alternative that is often looked at as being too costly or not as appetizing.

It is no secret that more plant-based eaters would alleviate various public health issues and environmental such as greenhouse gas emissions, excessive water consumption, and a loss of biodiversity. With a growing demand in meat alternatives, consumer satisfaction and a sustainable green food supply can be accomplished in harmony.

Works Cited

Dettling, Jon. “A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Plant-Based Foods and Meat Foods.” https://www.morningstarfarms.com/ content/dam/morningstarfarms/pdf/

MSFPlantBasedLCAReport_2016-0410_Final.pdf. Roos, Olivia. “Is Fake Meat Better for You, or the

Environment?” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal

News Group, 14 Oct. 2019, https:// www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fakemeat-better-you-or-environment-n1065231.