Food for thought

Headway is being made on the engagement front against the meat industry.

An $11 trillion (€9 trillion) global investor engagement has had a breakthrough year, seeing  fast food giants including McDonald’s and Domino’s bow to pressure to ramp up their climate commitments.

Meanwhile, momentum for sustainable protein continues to grow, The Lens has learned. Vegan-friendly options are becoming more widespread in British supermarkets, and Burger King now has a vegan burger on the menu.

Consumer appetite for vegan alternatives to meat also continues to increase. According to Dutch bank ING, European sales of meat and dairy alternatives have grown by nearly 10% a year from 2010 to 2020. By 2025, the market in Europe and the UK is expected to be worth €7.5 billion.

This is just as well, as livestock is responsible for a large portion of global greenhouse gases, and often a primary cause of deforestation.

But just because something is vegan, doesn’t mean it’s green. Investors still need to do their due diligence to make sure vegan products are made in a sustainable way – one that doesn’t cause detriment to the planet.