Discuss and Develop drafts

Draft1
Plant-based meats could change the world in many ways. From my research I
discovered a number of impacts the traditional meat industry has had and I realized
that plant-based meats could reverse some of these impacts. I discovered just how much
the traditional meat industry contributes to our Green House Gas emissions, and from
my research it shows that the production of plant-based meats does not emit nearly as
much greenhouse gases as this. I also discovered some health impacts that animal meat
is having, particularly in third world countries. As in these countries they tend to inject
their livestock and cattle with more and more GMOs. Yet one could argue that
something named ‘plant-based meat’ would be much more processed. This is true;
however, it appears that not all plant-based meats are ultra-processed foods as one
would expect them to be. Yet all this does not mean plant-based meats have no
downsides to them. Like all new inventions they are very expensive at least compared
to the traditional meat industry. They’re also some health concerns like high amounts of
sodium although it appears that they are still healthier than animal meat. Perhaps one
of the most pressing concerns about this new invention is what the future will look like
for those associated with or part of the traditional meat industry. Some may be able to
make the transition but others may be left jobless which will lead to many issues. My
answer to part of my question is that they will change the world for the better but that
does not mean that they will positively impact all areas. Less land would be used if we
made this transition, less trees would be cut, and we would generally have a more
sustainable meat industry. However, is it likely that this will happen?

There are many problems with our traditional meat industry, and perhaps people
would be willing to make the change to reverse these negative impacts. Although, it is
just as likely that they would reject this new idea. The fact that they are ultra-processed
foods means that when someone looks at the label of a plant-based meat, they see a lot
of ingredients they do not recognize. This is likely to put many people off. They are also
currently more expensive than animal meat. All these make it seem that it is very
unlikely that this switch would happen.

The plant-based companies are playing around with these environmental issues and
animal cruelty issues in the traditional meat industry. But it will take price reduction
and plant-based meats using more natural ingredients for this switch to happen I
believe. Currently there is craze in the world so consumption is very high, but as soon as
the craze is over it is likely that plant-based meat companies will see a slump in income.

Draft 2
To this question there are many solutions. One could choose to look at the positive or
the negative impacts plant-based meats would have if we switched to consuming them.
However, it would end product would most likely have conclusion that is not fully valid
so it is more ideal to look both the negative and positive impacts of a change likes this.
This is the path that I will be taking to answer the first half of my question to make my
final solution/answer more accurate.

Going down this path, I found that there are many surprising and interesting impacts
that a switch like this could bring about.

From my research I have now become more aware of the impacts that the traditional
meat industry is having on the world. For example, the greenhouse gas emissions of this
industry are shocking as well as the levels of pollution that operations in this industry
like cattle feeding operations have. Poor land use as well as poor use of resources are
other concerns raised by this industry, I found in my research. This means that when
you consider switching to plant-based meats, it seems there will be many positive
impacts. For example, the production of a plant-based meat does not emit nearly as
much greenhouse gases when compared with the amount of animal meat. They also
require less land and water to produce. They are also healthier in some aspects of
nutritional value. So, if you look at it from this point of view, it seems that this switch
could lead to changing the world for the better. This is true to some degree but we must
now consider some of the negative impacts.

One of main issues with a switch like this is what the future will look for people involved
in the traditional meat industry

Draft 3
The new idea around meat alternatives like plant-based meats has recently become
popular. One of the main reasons that they have become popular is that they appear to
have the potential to reverse the negative impacts of the traditional meat industry. This
could happen if we switched to consuming them. From my research it appears that they
can reverse these negative impacts. From my research it seems plain that there are
many problems in the traditional meat industry that plant-based offer a solution to.

The traditional meat industry raises environmental concerns like high level of
greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from livestock. No livestock is involved in
producing a plant-based meat and for instance there are no cows to produce methane or
feces, therefore plant-based seem to solve the issue absolutely. Animal abuse is also a
concern raised by the animal meat industry because the whole idea of raising an animal
to kill it cruelly does not sit right with many. And as plant-based meats are plant-based,
animals do not have to be slaughtered to put a plant-based meat on your dining table.

Therefore, it is clear that plant-based meats could reverse the negative impacts of
animal meat in a variety of ways. However, if you were to summarize this it is possible
to say that it is the fact that they are plant-based that explains how they could reverse
the negative impacts of animal meat, on the condition that the majority of the world
switched to consuming them.

But if we switched to consuming them it’s very likely that plant-based meat would have
impacts of there own and raise concerns. They would certainly raise health concerns in
many. The fact that you took plants and turned into something so similar to meat must
mean that a lot of food processing was going on. Although this is not the case for all
plant-based meats, they generally contain many ingredients that do not seem natural.

A switch to plant-based meats would also have an impact on those involved in the
traditional meat industry. Those who will not be able to find new jobs will definitely
struggle financially. This would result in very many issues. Many may be left homeless
and very poor and as this is such a vast industry, these impacts would take its toll on the
world as well.

But is it likely that this switch would happen? Well, this greatly depends on a number of
things, particularly whether people will choose to focus on the positives or on the
negatives. Someone may hear about hear about the wonderful things about how plant-
based meats could benefit the environment, but when they consider the future of animal
farmers the begin to become more skeptical. Or if they consider the toll the traditional
meat industry has had on the world but then look at the ingredients in a plant-based
meat.

Plant-based meat may even just be a craze that will soon pass. ‘Plant-based meats’ does
sound very interesting an it is only natural that a new amazing idea would have a rise in
popularity as plant-based meats has had. But once the craze is over their consumption
may fall. If for example, some people got very ill because of plant-based meats, their
consumption would fall drastically.

A major factor in the ‘if this is likely to happen part’ is how long they will take to achieve
price parity with anima meats. If or when this happens then it is much more likely that
this switch will take place.

Draft 4
It is clear from my research that plant-based meats could reverse the negative impacts
of animal meat. But when we consider a future in which plant-based meats are the
norm, we would see them having many negative impacts of their own. So, it comes
down really, to which outweighs the other.

The way we produce our meat has a lot of downsides to it. Animals are raised in
conditions which are less than ideal. From an ethical point of view, we can consider
animal abuse. They are packed closely together, injected with hormones for fast growth
or GMOs for better texture or taste, fed with foods that are not normally part of their
diet and enclosed. They live through all this to be slaughtered. This is definitely one
impact plant-based meats are sure to reverse as they are plant based.

But that’s just from an ethical point of view we could consider the impacts the
traditional meat industry has from an environmental point of view. Beef is one of the
most consumed meats in the world. Methane is one of the most abundant greenhouse
gases and it just so happens that cows are one of the main emitters of methane
contributing to global warming.

But this looks small when compared to one of the most staggering impacts this industry
has. From my source from the Guardian it is said that “The entire system of food
production, such as the use of farming machinery, spraying of fertilizer and
transportation of products, causes 17.3bn metric tons of greenhouse gases a year” it
then goes onto say that “The use of cows, pigs and other animals for food, as well as
livestock feed, is responsible for 57% of all food production emissions, the research
found, with 29% coming from the cultivation of plant-based foods.” Therefore, it is clear
that plant-based meats would remove the ethical concerns raised by the traditional
meat industry and greatly reduce the environmental impact.

That is one way of looking at it but now I will look at the negative impacts plant-based
meats will have. The first and greatest impacts they are most likely to have are on those
involved in the animal meat industry. If we all consumed plant-based meats then the
future for the people who will not be able to make this transition seems to be quite dark.
They will experience financial struggle and I quote my source from Vox, “a massive shift
in a huge part of the economy” will ensue.

There may also be health concerns raised by plant-based meats like the fact that they
are ultra-processed foods and may be bad for your health or very unnatural foods. But
the Insider article states that “Plant-based meats are healthier than regular meat as
they’re lower saturated fat and calories” so its safe to say that health concerns that are
raised by plant-based meats are not really valid. Therefore, I choose to conclude that the
positives of plant-based meats outweigh the negatives.

As to whether the switch to plant-based meats is likely, it firstly depends on whether

people are likely to lean towards the positives or the negatives of plant-based meats.
And then importantly, if governments or other authorities make it clear to people that
something so similar to meat made from plants is safe then many more people will
accept them. However according to my source by Mikaela Cohen plant-based meats may
take a while to achieve price parity with animal meats so for now it seems unlikely that
this change will happen.

Draft 5 (for new question 08/03/2022)

How feasible it is to replace animal meat with plant-based meat has many answers. One
could say that it is not at all because there is a high chance plant-based meat will be
widely rejected. Or one could say it is quite feasible because animal meat production has
heavy impacts on the planet. But although these arguments are accurate to some
degree, I believe it is best to consider both the benefits and downsides of plant-based
meat, analyze how people will receive them, and compare them with animal meats
before coming up with an answer to my question.

Plant-based meats do have many upsides to them. They offer a much more sustainable
meat industry than our current traditional one. To produce a plant-based meat requires
far fewer resources than animal meat and as well as this, it is better for the
environment. Studies have shown that plant-based food emissions are much lower than
animal meat emissions and as well as this, less space is required to produce plant-based
meats than animal meats so this means fewer trees are cut down. Replacing animal
meat with plant-based meat could even mean more afforestation. So, from this view it
seems quite feasible and perhaps is but their downsides should be considered as well. If
we replace animal meats with plant-based meats it is likely that many involved in the
traditional meat industry will be left financially strained. As well as this, they are ultra-
processed foods.

Different people would receive them in different ways. Animal farmers are likely to be
against this upcoming competition to their industry. But these people are not the
majority in society. Plant-based meat’s popularity is going to show that everyday people
are very open to this new idea. This is evident when we see how the plant-based market
is skyrocketing. These facts are in favor of the feasibility of plant-based meats replacing
animal meats. But maybe if we consider that plant-based meats are more expensive
than animal meat (and will stay like that for some time) we can see that it may not be so
feasible. But maybe if we consider the rising trend of ‘animal rights’ then perhaps from
this view it appears that it would be highly feasible.

When we compare plant-based meats against animal meats we can see that both of
them win in some areas. Plant-based meats, although they are ultra-processed, have
been found to be healthier than animal meat by dietitians. Yet it is debatable as animal
meat is higher in protein. Plant-based are too high in sodium when compared to animal
meat but animal meat contains cholesterol while plant-based meat has none.

So, from all this it is clear that there is a lot to consider when attempting to answer this
question. I believe that an accurate answer can be given by drawing aspects from these
paths and combining them.

The high prices of plant-based meats and the uncertain future of those involved in the
animal meat industry seem to decrease the feasibility by a lot. But environmental
concerns, the rising popularity of veganism and vegetarianism in the world and the fact
that many consider plant-based to be healthier than animal meats leave me to answer
that perhaps it is quite feasible.

Draft 6 (02/04/22)
It appears that for now this act is partially feasible but not so in some countries,
particularly in countries where animal farming is the main source of income. Along with
this, the fact that plant-based are more expensive than animals’ meats are a factor and it
is unlikely that these prices will come down soon unless there is government
involvement. However, even if the cost issue is eliminated its close to impossible to
conclude it would feasible.

If we replaced animal meat with plant-based meat there would be both upsides and
downsides, so it is right to consider which outweighs the other. We would see a more
sustainable meat industry that doesn’t raise ethical concerns as well as one that isn’t
contributing to global warming. But those who had been dealing in the animal meat
industry will be left financially ruined and we would see some countries’ economies
struggling as a result of this. So even though there would be some advantages to this,
the disadvantages make it impossible to conclude that it would be completely feasible. It
is also likely that we would even see resistance from some countries and groups of
people involved in the traditional meat industry.

But one could argue that it would be feasible as they offer a solution to our
environmental crisis and so people and countries would be inclined to take them up
(studies have shown plant-based meats don’t have as much impact on the environment
as animal meat). But another argument could conclude that it is not feasible because
they cost more and it is unlikely that governments would get involved. But I have
chosen to reject any arguments that conclude that it ‘this or that’ as it is impossible that
it would be completely feasible.

But before explaining how we should go about this, it is necessary to answer why we
should do this. There are three main reasons, these being the environmental concerns
raised by the animal meat industry, the fact that the plant-based meat industry seems to
be more sustainable, and lastly the ethical concerns raised by the animal meat industry.

Plant-based meat companies have already started promoting their products, and the
industry has experienced rapid growth. But to come close to this goal further steps have
to be taken, like involving governments. Governments have enough resources, money
and authority to lift entire industries.

Government involvement would likely come close to eliminating the greatest obstacle
that stands in the way of replacing animal meat with plant-based meat. And that is the
cost issue. If governments invest in this industry then we would likely see prices of
these meats coming down drastically. Governments could then provide this industry
with research to improve the overall quality of the products. Governments would then
just need to provide the public with research that confirms the reasons why we should
do this are valid and persuade people, using evidence, that these meats are not
unhealthy, ultra-processed foods there being made out to be.

Although government involvement isn’t very likely. But even without government help,
studies have shown that the industry is expected to grow quite rapidly. Plant-based
meats are also quite popular and these two reasons are why I can conclude partial
feasibility.

Draft 7 05/04/2022
Replacing animal meat is not completely feasible, no matter what you are replacing it
with. However, it is safe to say that it would at least be partially feasible to replace them
with plant-based meats. Government involvement would mean that it would be almost
feasible but their involvement can’t be guaranteed.

Plant-based meats offer a more sustainable meat industry and studies have found that
they are also more environmentally friendly. Switching to consuming plant-based meats
would also solve the animal cruelty issue in the traditional meat industry and these are
some of these reasons behind why we should do this. But it is very likely that a switch
like this would receive a lot of opposition from the animal meat industry, and from
countries that rely on sectors of this industry as a source on income. If we made the
switch to plant-based meats, then those in the traditional meat industry would also
suffer considerably financially. It is because of these oppositions and negative outcomes
of a switch that I cannot conclude full feasibility. The fact that plant-based meats cost
more than animal meat is another factor working against the feasibility of switch.

But there are a number of other ways one could argue. For example, one could say that
“If governments became involved then the prices would come down and therefore it
would be feasible”, or you could say that “It’s not feasible because plant-based meats are
ultra-processed”. But even though these arguments may be rights to some degree, its
not possible to say it would be feasible or not because there are other factors to take
into consideration.

But how should we go about replacing animal meat with plant-based meat? Well I
believe that the first step is getting rid of the obstacles that can be gotten rid of. These
may include customer confidence and the cost issue. However, these can only go with
government support. Governments can provide open source research to assure
consumers that these plant-based “meats” will not harm you. They can fund the
development of the industry and this would guarantee a price reduction of plant-based
meats. Governments may even be able to eliminate some opposition from traditional
meat industry workers. If governments are able to guarantee these people, funding and
perhaps a smooth transition into this new meat industry then we would see that this
new idea would have much less opposition.

Government support, combined with private investments this industry has received
along with the growing demand for meat alternatives would mean that this industry
would continue to grow. Governments could persuade more and more people to
consume these meats and could provide aid for those who would suffer from a switch
like this. All these three put together combined with the problems plant-based meats
are solving would mean that there would be few reasons not to conclude full feasibility.

However, it is quite possible to say that government involvement is unlikely. But if we

use the examples of its involvements in for example, renewable energy or medicine, we
can see that it is not so unlikely that they wouldn’t invest in plant-based meat for, a
“more sustainable meat industry” or a “meat industry that doesn’t pollute the earth”.
But it is not possible to guarantee their involvement. Even without it the industry will
grow but at a much slower rate and will perhaps never fully replace animal meat.