Candidate Number:

Centre Name:
Centre Number:
Title of Course: 0457 Global Perspectives
Topic: Sustainable Living
Research Question: Do plant-based meat alternatives
impact sustainability?
Word Count: 2000 (excluding headings)
Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3

Causes ...................................................................................................................... 3

Consequences of switching to meat alternatives ......................................................5

1. Environmental Consequences ...................................................................... 5

2. Personal Consequences ................................................................................ 6

3. Economic Consequences .............................................................................. 7

4. Comparison of Consequences ...................................................................... 8

Global Perspective ................................................................................................... 8

National Perspective ................................................................................................ 8

Course of Action .................................................................................................... 9

Personal Perspective .............................................................................................. 10

Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 10

Sources Evaluation ................................................................................................ 10

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Introduction
Sustainability is an ever-growing idea that should be included in everyone's life. As a vegan
myself, the solution that comes to mind to improve this situation is meat alternatives. These
are yet to be perfected, with numerous benefits and drawbacks directly related to
sustainability. This report will discuss and evaluate the sustainability of meat alternatives.

Causes
There are various causes for consumers to convert to meat alternatives, and for manufacturers
to start producing them.

According to a global manufacturing company survey, only 18% of consumers know about
the haleness rather than the sustainability of meat alternatives (Biospringer, 2022). A
systematic review by Christina Hartmann shows the low awareness of the environmental
impact of meat production, explaining why sustainability is not a concern while switching to
plant-based products.

Additionally, Figure 1.1, illustrates how health is a leading reason consumers choose meat
alternatives specifically (FoodByte, 2018).

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Figure 1.2 also displays how taste is a defining factor in food choices, while other motivators
are negligible (GFI, 2021), which suggests why people are against switching to meat
alternatives. Without perfect taste, meat alternatives are bound to face backlash.

Social media influence is also a primary cause driving people to change their dietary choices.
Vegan and Vegetarian influencers like Greta Thunberg, a climate change activist, and Riteish
Deshmukh, a well-known Indian actor, have impacted thousands to change their dietary
preferences.

A study published in July 2018 observes a clear positive trend between the popularity of a
celebrity in an advertisement and the influence on the viewer. However, this does not mean
that everybody is affected by influencers, as the study concludes that the influence is based
on the person's control over their food choices (Howse, Eloise, et al. 2018).

Climate change is another reason why people switch from conventional meats to plant-based
alternatives. Greta Thunberg strongly urges the world to switch to a plant-based diet to
reduce emissions of up to 8 billion tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (The Independent, 2021).

On the contrary, the causes for manufacturing meat alternatives are mainly mission-driven
with an aim. For example, the world-renowned Impossible Foods aims to "end the use of
animals to make food" and "to make meat, dairy, and fish from plants" (Impossible Foods,
2011). Similarly, Beyond Meat, another prestigious meat alternatives company started to
tackle climate change (Beyond Meat, 2010). This brings us back to sustainability in meat
alternatives.

Therefore, while the causes of manufacturing meat alternatives are more inclined towards
sustainability, personal causes of this shift are often related to health improvements and taste.

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Consequences of switching to meat alternatives
Sustainability is based on three main factors, environmental, economic, and social
consequences. In this section, all three of these factors will be analysed to conclude meat
alternatives’ benefits in terms of sustainability.

Environmental
Unlike traditional meat items, meat alternatives have a significantly less environmental
impact.

Figure 1.3a shows that animal-based meats impact up to 15 times that of plant-based
alternatives in terms of their environmental costs (AZOCleanTech, 2020).

Research and surveys show that despite these improvements in carbon emissions and impact,
transportation of perishables, artificial fertilisers, and tilling of fields, also cause an increase
in greenhouse gas emissions. However, the conclusion remains that meat alternatives
comparatively cause lesser greenhouse gas emissions than conventional meat (BBC Future,
2020).

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Figure 1.3b shows how water consumed by meat alternatives is nearly negligible compared to
conventional meats. Hungry Planet Meats, a manufacturer of plant-based meats, has also
conducted studies concluding that up to 62%-91% less water is required than conventional
meats during manufacturing (CleanMetrics, 2021).

Personal
Lisa Harnack, Director of the Nutrition Coordinating Center, stated in an interview that plant-
based beef alternatives often provide nutritional benefits like increased folate, fibre, and iron
intake. Despite these nutritional benefits, meat alternatives lack sufficient amounts of Protein
and Vitamin B12, which can only be consumed from animal products.

These nutrients are essential for one's survival. Without adequate amounts of these, many
health problems may arise. For example, my mother was forced back into non-vegetarianism
due to a lack of vitamin B12, causing arthritis. Problems like weaker muscles, inability to
walk properly, and higher heart rate are likely if nutrients are not consumed carefully. Hence,
switching to meat alternatives simultaneously weakens and improves your body.

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Despite this, Figure 1.4 (UNSCN, 2017) shows deaths that a plant-based diet could avoid.
Eating red meat causes 600 deaths per million people compared to 100 deaths per million
people if they eat fruits and vegetables in developed countries.

Economic
Currently, plant-based meat alternatives are comparatively more expensive than meats.
Experts suggest that this is due to the novelty of the industry. In fact, according to Dennis
Woodside, the president of Impossible Foods, they have started to make these at the same
price as animal meats due to large-scale production (CNBC, 2021). A study published in 2022
suggests that as the price of plant-based meats decreases, world emissions from beef
production fall significantly to approximately the same as United States' current emissions
from beef production. This comes at a disadvantage that United States cattle production falls
by ~0.15%, causing a loss to cattle producers (Lusk, Jayson, et al. 2022).

Figure 1.5 shows how a 10% reduction in plant-based meats' prices could cause up to $300
million per year in losses to cattle producers in the US while also increasing the consumers'
welfare by almost $600 million per year (Lusk, Jayson, et al. 2022). Cattle slaughtering also
decreases by nearly 80,000. This is not necessarily good, considering these cattle have
usually been selectively bred for thousands of years. This significant decrease in the slaughter
industry would cause an imbalance in the ecosystem.

Reducing deforestation due to reduced grain demand for necessary cattle production while
freeing up land used for cattle (41% in the US) will allow humans to cope with the rapidly
increasing population in the future.

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Comparison of consequences
Overall, switching to plant-based meats is comparatively better for all three pillars of
sustainability: Economy, Society, and Environment (FutureLearn, 2022), despite the few
disadvantages such as an economic decline, poor nutritional value, emissions by
transportation, and more.

Global Perspectives
Meat alternatives received incredible support from international organisations. Beyond Meat
and Impossible Foods accepted the 2018 Champions of the Earth award due to their
sustainable solution to meats. United Nations (UN) supports the meat alternatives industry by
awarding these companies. UN has also explicitly stated that plant-based diets are the only
way to create a sustainable future. International NGOs like The Good Food Institute (GFI),
formed by the NPO Mercy For Animals, aim to create a "more sustainable and secure protein
source", which further adds to the global support the meat alternatives industry receives.

On the contrary, the World Health Organisation does not suggest a direct change in diet due
to the nutritional difference. If someone is eating plant-based meats, their meals must be
planned, and some foods must be avoided to maintain a consistent nutritional intake.
Similarly, this is recommended by doctors worldwide as deficiencies are likely in such cases.

According to the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition, a plant-based diet
could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% and global mortality by up to 10%.
This, in turn, helps tackle United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) 10,
Reduced Inequalities, while regressing other UNSDGs like 6, Clean Water and Sanitation,
and 3, regarding health and air pollution, due to an increase in the population.

National Perspectives
Singapore supports plant-based diets, ranked the second most vegan-friendly country,
offering various meat alternatives (PETA Asia, 2021). Singapore was the first country to
legalise the sale of plant-based meats, making it the "center of the plant-based meat industry"
(Guardian, 2022). GFI states that ~36 meat-alternative companies in Singapore had raised
over $213 million in funding.

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Fig 1.6 shows that countries like France, largely dependent on meat, are unwilling to cut
down on their source of income (Statista, 2020). The 2026 prediction of the two has shown
an apparent increase in the sales of conventional meats compared to the minimal increase of
plant-based meats.

However, there are exceptions. For example, Canada, a country with nearly 12.23 million
cattle and ~72,900 farms, supports plant-based meats. Canada has invested $153 million in
vegan protein development and multi-million-dollar funding to Merit Functional Foods,
which produces meat alternatives (VeganFirst, 2018). To achieve Canada's pledge to halve its
greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, the Canadian Government has started investing in plant-
based meat production and urges its citizens to switch to plant-based lifestyles.

Courses of Action
The most significant consequence of plant-based lifestyles is nutrition deficiencies. Countries
must begin to invest more money into the Research and Development of plant-based foods as
this would allow companies to identify recompense for the essential nutrients lacking. This
decreases the risk of deficiency, encouraging a switch to plant-based foods. This is already
underway in countries such as Singapore and Denmark, which have invested ~£170.5 million
in this industry (FoodMatters Live, 2021).

With increased investments, organisations must encourage people to eat plant-based foods
rather than conventional meats. An example is the Vegetarian Society in Singapore which
convinced my family to be vegan. Learning from Canada, it is also understood that by
encouraging people to switch to plant-based lifestyles, Carbon Dioxide emissions can also be
reduced. This can be similarly implemented by governments coaxing their citizens to take up
plant-based lifestyles.

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This change would be hard to accept for countries like France, which depend on meat for
their income. Hence, slowly implementing policies that would help people switch to a plant-
based lifestyle must also be considered. An example could be "Meatless Mondays",
implemented in France, where canteens and restaurants do not sell meat-based products. This
is also implemented in my school and certainly achieves plant-based lifestyles.

Personal Perspectives
Despite being a vegan for the past ten years, I always found it hard to answer the question,
"What is the benefit of being vegan?" until now. Before conducting research, I only knew
about animal cruelty which was tackled by switching to a plant-based lifestyle. I was fixated
on the fact that plant-based diets only benefit everyone and barely negatively affect people's
lives. I learned the effects of eating plant-based products which are largely positive,
especially on a global scale. This report changed my idea of meat alternatives and reinforced
my idea of sustainability in specific diets.

Plant-based meat alternatives are sustainable as they are cost-effective and both
environmentally & socially better. Being a double-edged sword, meat alternatives can
improve the world while simultaneously posing certain threats to the world, which I
experienced first-hand as my mother was forced back into non-vegetarianism, as mentioned
previously. Other threats could be the degradation of the cattle market, emissions by
transportation, etc, often causing an economic decline.

Conclusion
In conclusion, plant-based meat alternatives have an overall positive impact on sustainability.
Although it may have its negatives like lack of specific nutrients and people being against
switching, it can help significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and
deforestation. Following the footsteps of various countries, a more sustainable planet could
be achieved by investing more time and money into plant-based foods.

Sources Evaluation
Sources 7, 20, 23, 25, and 44 are from official websites of UN committees, improving their
reliability and essentially providing balanced arguments about nutrition. However, these
sources, reports & articles need to be updated, like source 7, dated 2017. Despite this, they
are still relevant today, primarily due to the novelty and slow progression of the industry.

Source 17 is from The Guardian in November 2022, which proved reliable as it has been
linked to other relevant research while providing an unopinionated view. However, the UK
government's involvement may be biased and creates a filter bubble. Written by Donna Lu, a
science writer, recently in 2022, also makes this more reliable, allowing me to use this in a
precise manner.

Sources 4, 15, and 38 are blogs, reducing their reliability as they are opinion-driven.
However, they are necessary to prove the point about meat alternatives' environmental
impacts and so have been used. I have also looked into the data given in these blogs, from
sources such as World Bank, which seem to be reliable, which is why I used these.

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