IDTechEx Research

COVID-19 is Just the Latest Zoonotic Disease Stemming From the Meat Industry - Seite 2

Any substitute would need to be almost indistinguishable from conventional meat, have at least price parity with corresponding meat products, and be widely available. Two particularly promising industries have grown at a rapid pace over the past few years: plant-based and cultured meat. The recent IDTechEx report, "Plant-based and Cultured Meat 2020-2030", explores the technology and markets behind these rapidly emerging industries, forecasting whether either area could help reduce the world's reliance on the problematic animal agriculture industry.

In addition to often being more sustainable than meat, plant-based foods are much less likely to lead to disease outbreaks. Due to the much larger genetic differences between plants and humans than animals and humans, transmission of infectious diseases from plants to humans is much less likely. Plant-based meat substitutes have been around for a while, but have taken off in recent years, with companies such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat raising hundreds of million dollars in funding and experiencing a surge in sales.

The explosion in plant-based meat products is considered in more detail in "Plant-based and Cultured Meat 2020-2030", but can be broadly attributed to three factors.

The first, and arguably most important factor is quality. Rather than just targeting vegetarians, plant-based analogue producer like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are targeting the 95% of consumers who eat meat. These consumers are less likely to compromise on quality for ethical reasons than vegetarians. As such, there is a serious R&D focus on product quality and exact replication of meat, something not present in previous generations of meat substitutes. The second factor is in the increasing availability of plant-based meat products, with plant-based products becoming an increasingly common sight in fast food chains. Finally, consumer perceptions of plant-based meat are an important factor. Plant-based meats are viewed as healthy alternatives to meat products, letting consumers continue to enjoy their favourite foods guilt-free. There is a megatrend towards conscious consumption – consumers are increasingly demanding products be sustainable and ethical.