According to Bloomberg, Americans are massively abandoning beef because of worries of climate change. Perhaps, this approach will actually help minimize the environmental damage. However, meat producers and public catering companies complain about colossal losses.
The intention of Americans to reduce beef in their regular diet poses a great threat to meat producers. Public catering will also face serious problems as the US is well known for its variety of beef dishes. Yet, with no demand for them, cafes and restaurants will incur losses as well. Notably, the trend of abandoning beef is becoming more and more popular. Many Americans compare the damage caused to the environment by beef consumption with the harm caused by the use of coal.
Environmentalists say that cow breeding has a devastating impact on the climate. Cattle emit a huge amount of greenhouse gases during their lifetime due to the peculiarities of the digestive system. The calculations of the United Nations (UN) show that 14.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are accounted for by livestock. Two-thirds of this amount is produced by cattle.
A survey by the research company Datassentia reveals that more than half of Americans (70%) are willing to reduce their meat consumption and 58% of them prefer fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Importantly, the same view is shared by large educational institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Kansas. These universities have joined a special program to transition to healthy and eco-friendly food.
American farmers have already felt the impact of the protein war that has deprived them of a stable income. Investors also began to give money to startups that are engaged in making lab-grown meat. As a result, public catering, in particular meat restaurants, had to adapt to the new reality. Many of them had to wind down their businesses. Some were able to exclude meat dishes from the menu.
According to a Kearney study, global meat sales will decline significantly by 2025. Many experts envisage the appearance of beef substitutes by 2040. They will take 33% of the entire product market. In most countries, millions of people have given up eating beef. Overall, the number of people abandoning beef is constantly growing.
