Where's the Beef?

Where’s The Beef?

For my junior theme research paper I took a look at the consumption of vegan meat options in America. I wanted to look at a topic that was important to me and for the last year or so I have been looking a lot at what affects the climate and ecosystem and specifically what we are doing as humans to negatively affect it. A few months ago I watched a documentary that explained how the meat industry causes a large portion of the global pollution as well as having many other negative effects. They also explained, however, that there is an alternative in the form of plant based and lab grown meats. I used that documentary, Explained: The Future of Meat, as well as other documentaries, books, scientific studies, and more to help me dig deeper into the subject. 

By the end of the writing process I had formulated an opinion on the topic and believe that everyone should do what they can to support companies that are bringing about change in the meat industry. Raising animals for meat is abusive for animals, many of whom suffer from depression caused by the loneliness restriction of movement and physical abuse they receive at the slaughter factories called farms. If that isn’t reason enough to switch, the production of animals also puts strain on human health, the economy, the environment, and tastes just as good. Plant based meat alternatives contain more protein, less fat, less sodium, and most importantly no cholesterol which will lead to less heart disease for Americans who suffer from extremely high numbers of death per year by heart disease. The prices of both plant based and cell based vegan meats are plummeting rapidly and will soon be cheaper then real meat because producers can grow batches of meat quickly while it takes years to raise some animals. Vegan meat also uses 93% less land, causes 90% more greenhouse gas emissions, uses up 99% less water, and 46% less energy (Beyond Meat). Most importantly, it tastes just like meat! If someone handed you a product of either Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods, two major leaders in the plant based meat field, without telling you it wasn’t meat you would have no idea (Owen Trout). I’m not saying anyone should give up meat completely if they don’t want to but given the option between real meat and vegan meat the consumer should always take the vegan meat and in doing so help support a company who is making a difference. Consumers don’t need to give up anything to switch to alternative meats and the world has so much to gain so I think the switch should be a no brainer.