The future is meat-free ...

The rise in popularity of flexitartian, vegetarian and vegan diets is not just the latest fad to sweep social media, but actually linked to a growing consciousness of the state of our ecosystem.

With companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, and supermarkets like Waitrose and Sainsbury's paving the way with plant-based alternatives, is it any wonder that a new report has predicted that by 2040, around 60% of meat products consumed will be either cultured or plant-based alternatives? 

Conventional meat production not only raises concerns about the welfare of animals within the process, but can also have a detrimental effect on the environment. There have always been ethical questions surrounding meat production, but now recent scientific studies have shown the huge environmental impact these processes have, from destroying wild habitats to make way for farmland, to the pollution of rivers and oceans. 

The report in question, by AT Kearney1, denotes that by 2040, an estimated 35% of all meat products consumed will be cultured, whilst 25% will be plant-based alternatives. 

"For passionate meat-eaters, the predicted rise of cultured meat products means that they still get to enjoy the same diet they always have, but without the same environmental and animal cost attached," said Dr Carseten Gerhardt, a partner at AT Kearney.

Due to the vast majority of the population being used to a meat-orientated diet, it is likely that cultured meat will win out against vegan alternatives in the long run. However, the growing industry of these plant-based products will be fundamental in the transition phase.

With these sorts of diets proving to be good for animal welfare, our delicate ecosystem, and our  own health and wellbeing, this news is a positive step towards an all-round better way of living.

1 https://www.atkearney.com/retail/article/?/a/how-will-cultured-meat-and-meat-alternatives-disrupt-the-agricultural-and-food-industry