Millennials Are Driving The Worldwide Shift Away From Meat

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Millennials are increasingly plugged into food and it's impact on the planet, their bodies, and animals. (Credit: Shutterstock)

Millennials are shaking up industries everywhere. Just ask the meat industry, which is seeing its customers increasingly turn towards plant-based alternatives at a blistering pace. Chuck Jolley, president of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, said plant-based meat substitutes are one of the six great challenges for agriculture in 2018.

You may not have noticed, but there has been a global shift away from meat in recent years. A full 70% of the world population reportedly is either reducing meat consumption or leaving meat off the table altogether. This is from a report at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company that works with 4,000 of the world’s largest companies.

Fiona Dyer, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: ‘The shift toward plant-based foods is being driven by millennials, who are most likely to consider the food source, animal welfare issues, and environmental impacts when making their purchasing decisions.’

While millennials are one of the key drivers of this global shift away from consuming animal products, the plant-based movement appears to be bigger than any one generation. Celebrities, athletes, and even entire companies including Google and countries such as China are backing the movement to eat more plants. To take a page from Mugatu in Zoolander, ‘Plants are so hot right now.’

Established meat-free companies are reaping the benefits from the rise of flexitarianism. In 2017 the growth of meat-free diets was attributed as the main reason for sales growth at UK-based food group, Quorn Foods. The company, which makes foods such as burgers and sausages out of mushrooms, reported a 19% rise in sales in the first half of 2017. Quorn is confident that the younger generation is fueling this trend and that it represents a secular shift towards a healthier and more sustainable relationship with food.

According to Cargill, ‘Consumers are making choices to protect the planet and ensure the humane treatment of animals. They want to know the story of where their protein comes from and want to feel good about what they eat. That includes nutrition, animal welfare, food safety and overall environmental footprint.’

This would help explain the 600% increase in people identifying as vegans in the U.S in the last three years (GlobalData). Even Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is asking its suppliers to offer more plant-based products.

As the data linking meat consumption to negative effects on the environment continues to pile up, lab-grown meat could make its way into the mass market to combat these concerns. It's basically a cruelty-free option for those unwilling to give up meat entirely. A group of upstart tech teams (Memphis Meats, Mosa Meats, etc) are promising cruelty-free cultured meat will be available by 2022, though they’ll need to bring costs way down if they plan to put a serious dent in the global meat trade.

Millennials are increasingly plugged into food and it's impact on the planet, their bodies, and animals. (Credit: Shutterstock)

As the data linking meat consumption to negative effects on the environment continues to pile up, lab-grown meat could make its way into the mass market to combat these concerns. It's basically a cruelty-free option for those unwilling to give up meat entirely. A group of upstart tech teams (Memphis Meats, Mosa Meats, etc) are promising cruelty-free cultured meat will be available by 2022, though they’ll need to bring costs way down if they plan to put a serious dent in the global meat trade.

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