The "Backlash" to Plant-Based Meat Has a Sneaky, if Not Surprising, Explanation
The "Backlash" to Plant-Based Meat Has a Sneaky, if Not Surprising, Explanation
During the pandemic, plant-based meat consumption and media coverage exploded. Now, a host of trend pieces decry its demise. That shift is no organic accident.
TL;DR: the meat industry's misleading messaging campaign + lobbying
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A competing interest creating fake grass roots campaigns to point out how unhealthy the competition is doesnt surprise me in the least, but that said I think even without it some of the dip can likely be applied to the novelty wearing off and the expectations of infinite growth.
An impossible burger tastes fine for a veggie burger, but at the end of the day it isnt beef. Combine that with the unfortunate fact that plant based impossible style meat alternatives are more expensive, and inflation and you just have fewer people looking to splurge on something for the novelty.
Personally I dont think I'll ever stop eating meat all the way, but I do try to reduce my daily consumption so it isnt an all the time thing. When I do have a meatless day it's usually better served by having actual meatless(or vastly reduced) cuisine and not fake meat. So pizza, pasta with various cheeses, falafel, hummus dip snacks, rice and beans, bean burrito, arroz con gandules, vegetarian curry, veggy noodles, and etc. Likewise Ive talked to vegans and vegetarians who just no longer like meat and prefer their veggie burger taste like a bean patty instead of something that fake bleeds.
Dont get me wrong I agree that plant proteins and lab grown meats are important for eventually reducing meat consumption overall which is better for the environment. Meat eaters like myself would have an easier time eating less meat if there was an easy meat alternative. I just think that there are genuine organic reasons behind the drop in addition to the propoganda and I wonder how much of this now is the other side pulling their own astro turfing because they should be having the exponential and infinite growth that our market seems to demand and anything less than that is failure.
Initial adoption of "impossible" and alternatives was rapid and sudden so I wonder how much of this dip can be ascribed to the age old capitalist issue of expanding too rapidly and then falling off once the novelty wears off.
But yeah in short: Oh yeah big meat is definitely astroturfing, but I suspect there are more factors at play in the sales dips we're seeing.
When I do have a meatless day it’s usually better served by having actual meatless(or vastly reduced) cuisine and not fake meat
I agree with statement exactly. I will always choose a vegetable based meal that is its own thing instead of something similar to meat. I want it to emphasize the vegetables or grains instead of hiding it. Most of these have generations of people creating these traditional vegetarian or vegan dishes which are great instead of a cheap knock off.
I feel lab grown meat will attack traditional meat consumption much more. Same with actually ethically and sustainable meat creation.
Fake meat isn't even a cheap knock off, it is a more expensive knock off.
If you took away the government subsidies for meat production the price disparity would vanish.
Making food more expensive doesn't really seem like such a great idea still. They should subsidize plant based meat.
Cheap in the flavor and mouth feel department