3 ways plant-based meat can build back a better food system

published 11.05.20

Key Issues in the Meat Supply Chain 

Critics of the meat sector tend to focus on the carbon footprint. But the truth is, this can vary significantly depending on the producer’s practices or volume the forest loss for grazing

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought  worker vulnerability to the forefront. The novel coronavirus spread quickly in meatpacking plants, and of the 16,233 reported cases in 239 facilities in the US, 87% belonged to ethnic minorities. Meatpacking plants have been hotspots in the UK and Germany as well. The people who get the meat from the farm to our plates, particularly those responsible for processing and packing it, have been disproportionately affected when compared to the number of cases in feedlots or distribution centers. 

The Rise of Meat Alternatives

As the pandemic took hold in April and May of this year and plants around the US closed, meat production overall fell by 25% and prices rose by 40%. President Trump made use of the Defense Protection Act and signed an executive order on April 28 that required “meat and poultry processors continue operations uninterrupted to the maximum extent possible”. As shelves emptied, and prices reached exorbitant levels, more families were willing to try other options. The meat alternative players were ready and have experienced a 264% growth.

Plant-based burgers and sausages have been commercially available for over a decade. However, a new wave of products has sought to have the texture, taste, satiety, and overall feel of it’s meat counterpart. Most of these brands highlight the carbon benefits of a plant-based diet. A 2019 study found that the Impossible burger has a carbon footprint that is 90% lower than that of its beef counterpart. For this difference to be actually consequential, scaling is essential. Now that the pandemic has prompted a soaring demand, companies that make plant-based products are growing faster than ever before. How these brands choose to scale will have an immense impact on our food supply chain and on the workers that make it possible. 


Here are three ways to get started:

1. lead the way in protecting workers 

Ensuring a safe work environment goes well beyond establishing social distance guidelines. Although facilities that produce plant-based foods are at lower risk for becoming COVID-19 hotspots than meatpacking plants because workers have more space between them, there are other components that need to be considered. Workers must have paid time off to self-isolate or take care of sick family members. Protecting workers includes establishing and following up on robust equity, diversity, and inclusion policies that ensure workers are heard and everyone feels psychologically safe. 

2. shine a light on your supply chain 

Plant-based brands can also lead the way in transparency across their supply chain. There is a growing number of tech solutions that offer full traceability in agriculture, apparel, and other industries. The first 3 ingredients (besides water) in an Impossible burger are soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, and sunflower oil; a Beyond burger uses pea protein, cocoa butter, and coconut oil, among others.  A step in the right direction would be to disclose the sourcing countries for their ingredients and what they are doing to ensure that these products are not contributing to child labor or other forms of human rights abuses. So far, only partial statements are available. 

3. expand access 

From a consumer standpoint, there is also a key equity consideration: who has access to meat alternatives? Where are they available? Although partnerships with restaurants and grocery chains are growing, there must be a focus on making these alternatives available across all demographics, both in the US and abroad. Additionally, achieving price parity with meat should be a priority. It is important to remember that it is higher-income countries, and particularly the US, who lead the way in meat consumption. As people earn more, they tend to consume more meat. Making a convincing case for reducing the aspirational element that meat consumption has will be a challenge as alternatives seek to grow in market share around the world.  In the context of COVID-19, large swaths of the world are experiencing food insecurity and a hunger crisis. Plant-based alternatives can play a role in mitigating this. 

Supply chain disruptions in the food industry received attention especially in the early stages of the pandemic when people feared food shortages. Now that we have that phase of empty shelves and toilet paper hoarding behind us, we can take a step back and reflect on what we can do to build back a better food system that allows us to have a stable food supply and ensures workers are able to exercise their rights. 

A hamburger will not solve the climate problem on its own. What these meat alternatives can do is make intentional decisions that will move the needle in the right direction for the planet and for the people involved in making their products. This is the time to set an example and become a true leader in the quest to build back better. 

If you’re looking for support to make your supply chain people-first, please reach out. We’d love to meet you.


by Camila Gómez Wills
Consultant

 
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the role of the CSO in 2021

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the impact of COVID-19 on environmental disclosures