A Real Conversation: Plant-Based AND Conventional Meat
I have been a closet vegetarian throughout most of my time working in the agriculture space. If I wanted a shot at building a relationship with a farmer and having any sort of meaningful conversation, the quickest way to shut that down would have been to say that I was a vegetarian or studied environmental science. And while I learned very quickly to not bring up these topics immediately, I also discovered the right way to eventually broach this conversation that often transpired into an incredibly insightful dialogue.
For the past several years, and long before I was in the industry, the plant-based meat proponents and the conventional meat proponents were rarely in the same room. It seemed that each side was incapable of objectively looking at the benefits of both types of meat. With the rise of more mainstream plant-based meat companies and a growing field of research in the potential for grazing systems to sequester carbon, this conversation is finally being had in terms of an AND instead of an OR.
One of the aspects of an agri-food tech conference that I attended several weeks ago that really stuck out to me was that it was one of the first times that I have heard the plant-based meat and conventional meat conversation taking place in the same room. There were panels with a livestock monitoring technology solution alongside a mushroom based meat alternative company. There were speakers that represented food companies that were selling both beef and plant-based products. And while at times I do believe that some dialogue coaching would have been beneficial in how to have a productive conversation versus pointing fingers, it also produced some of the most interesting conference sessions I have ever attended.
In the end, I heard acknowledgement in the room that there is room for both types of production systems in a world with a rapidly growing population and a rising middle class.
CONVERSATION SNIPPETS
While I didn’t manage to catch all of the conversations had around plant-based and conventional meat, I did jot down some insightful snippets throughout the two day conference. I hope that as we move forward, working to better our agri-food system and innovate towards a food system that is better for people and the planet, that more of these conversations are had around the same table.
“When ordering a burger the decision used to be cheese or no cheese”
This is a perfect point that demonstrates just how much our food choices have changed in recent years. A hamburger isn’t about a consumer choosing between cheese or no cheese, ketchup or mayo, it is now also about choosing between beef or peas. Consumers have an increasing number of decisions they can make when it comes to what they eat. It’s not about every consumer choosing the plant-based option. It is about providing options and helping to solve the protein problem with a growing population and a rising middle class that wants to eat meat. It is valuable for agriculture and food companies to recognize the shift in the complexity of consumer choices and the fact that more consumers are eating in a way that reflects their values.
“The cow is a very inefficient producer of protein”
Another conversation snippet that I celebrate is the statement, “the cow is a very inefficient producer of protein.” This point right here was one of my main reasons when I initially switched to a plant-based diet five years ago. If you simply look at the amount of energy it takes to produce one pound of beef versus one pound of plant-based protein, when you eat higher on the trophic food chain you are using more energy. Of course, with processing, transportation and our current industrial food system the life cycle assessment isn’t this simple but at its core it is still an important statement.
“Livestock is a landscape management system”
While in New Zealand I have worked with farmers that view livestock as a way to improve the health of their soil and pasture.
One of the best conversations that I’ve had regarding the plant-based protein versus animal-protein debate was with a farmer from Nebraska, also known in the U.S. as “The Beef State.” After at least a year of knowing this farmer, over a shared meal after a trade-show I admitted to being a vegetarian. A lively conversation ensued. Almost immediately the farmer brought up the fact that animals can be used as a way to manage the land in areas where crops wouldn’t suit the soil type or topography of the land. I agree with this point 100%; however, the majority of beef produced in the United States isn’t based on grazing. Most beef is grain-fed and managed in intensive growing conditions.
Traveling and working on farms in New Zealand has shown me ways in which livestock can actually be a healthy management system for the land. It has been incredibly insightful to work on farms that are using cattle as a tool to restore soil health and promote biodiversity on their farm. In the plant-based versus conventional meat debate, I believe we need to stop demonizing all animal production and start celebrating those farmers and management systems that are doing it right!
“It is a balance”
This is an obvious point to end on but a necessary sentiment to share nonetheless. The conversation shouldn’t be about “versus” or “one-or-the-other”, it should be about AND. Conventional meat isn’t going to go away overnight and there are some consumers that will likely never stop eating meat.
I was talking to a group of people about this a couple of weeks ago and a question was asked “Would you stop eating meat if someone paid you 10 million dollars?” The woman who the question was directed to, without hesitation, responded “No. I like beef too much.” The reality is that some consumers will never completely give up eating meat. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing conversation. It is about a balance and creating options.
Let’s have more conversations with the small mushroom based meat company and the livestock management platform at the same table. This is where we can have dialogue and cultivate a system that celebrates diversity of ideas and bettering both plant-based and conventional meat production. Because in my opinion, there is room at the table for both parties.
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