There’s a palpable shift towards healthier, plant-based solutions globally. You’ve heard of the plant-based whopper from the burger fast-food chain Burger King. How about Subway’s plant-based steak (V) sub? These are just a few of the mainstream market manifestations of this plant-based trend.
What is causing the change? Four key factors are driving the increase in the demand for plant-based products.
1. The Desire for Better Health
According to a 2020 global survey by FMCG Gurus, 72% of consumers are deciding to opt for healthier food and beverages. This desire for better health is one of the drivers of the plant-based demand shift.
Transitioning to a plant-based diet has been medically validated to decrease the risk of lifestyle and acquired diseases because it induces meat avoidance or meat consumption reduction.
Meat Consumption Means Health Risks
In 2015, the World Health Organization classified cooked meat as a carcinogen, and a subsequent study from Harvard University found a positive correlation between meat consumption and cancer risk.
The overconsumption of meat is also associated with many ailments, including obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and other diseases secondary to elevated cholesterol levels.
Meat Consumption in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries
The data indicate the GCC region consumes approximately two to three times the recommended meat consumption levels.
In the UAE, the 2017 annual meat consumption per capita stood at 62 kilograms, while it was 54 kg in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The WHO recommends an annual per capita meat consumption of only 24 kg.
Meat-Related Health Issues in the GCC
Consequently, meat-related diseases are prevalent in the GCC. The region reports elevated rates of heart disease (33%), obesity (32%), high blood pressure (19%), and diabetes (16%).
Additionally, 65-80% of deaths in GCC countries (an average of 71.5% for the entire GCC region) may be attributed to non-communicable diseases. Combining exercise with a healthy diet may mitigate or prevent many of them.
The desire to avoid and prevent these meat-related health risks is driving the reducetarian trend in GCC countries.
2. A Concern for the Environment
Twenty per cent of those who have shifted to a plant-based diet were primarily motivated by a concern for the environment. They reduced their meat consumption because of the ecological impact of livestock farming and meat production.
Environmental Implications of Animal-Based Products
Animal-based products have a massive adverse impact on the environment.
● Resource Usage
Animal-based products demand staggering amounts of land and water, resources which could be put to better use elsewhere. They are up to 10 times more resource-intensive than their plant-based counterparts.
● Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A direct comparison between the greenhouse gas emissions of different food items shows that meat and animal derivatives (e.g., beef, lamb and cheese) have significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions across their supply chain than plant-based foods like tofu, maise and peas.
Every kilo of beef accounts for 60 kg of greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, a kilo of peas or bananas accounts for only 0.8 kg. This highlights the considerable contribution of animal-based foods to global warming and climate change.
● Water Pollution
Livestock and animal farming is the main contributor to water pollution. These operations cause waste runoff, laden with chemicals and animal residues, to enter water systems, threatening marine life and contaminating water supplies.
3. Ethical Considerations in Food Choices
Ethical considerations have become significant considerations in food choices. A growing segment of consumers is deeply reflecting on the morality of confining and slaughtering animals for meat consumption.
Animal rights organisations (e.g., People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA) continue to agitate for change.
They force people to consider ethics as they decide on the food they consume. They work tirelessly to shed light on the stark realities of industrial farming, highlighting the harrowing conditions under which many animals are raised and the profound suffering they endure to become meat on the table.
Speciesism
Speciesism is a concept gaining traction in contemporary philosophical circles. This idea challenges deeply rooted societal norms, urging the world to contemplate why, as a society, it draws distinctions between different species.
It asks how people could be willing to shower pets like cats and dogs with affection, even viewing them as cherished family members, yet regard farm animals like cows, pigs and chickens as soulless commodities that exist solely for human consumption.
This raises ethical dilemmas, pushing individuals to question the status quo and inducing them to shift to plant-based foods.
4. A Fear of Zoonotic Diseases
There’s a mounting apprehension surrounding zoonotic diseases—illnesses that can be transferred from animals to humans.The same concern has induced some people to turn to organic meat products – lamb, beef, chicken, and fish even if they couldn’t forgo meat altogether
Cramped and Unsanitary Conditions
Industrialised animal agriculture rears approximately 70 billion animals, often keeping them in cramped, unsanitary conditions. Such environments are hotbeds for diseases to emerge, mutate and potentially jump to human hosts.
Zoonotic Diseases: Track Record
Diseases like SARS-1, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, and MERS all have animal origins. The devastating Spanish Flu pandemic from a century ago is believed to have originated from a poultry farm. Even the recent COVID-19 pandemic could be traced back to animals.
In fact, 99% of all flu strains necessitating annual flu vaccinations originate from poultry. Equally disconcerting is that 75% of emerging diseases are zoonotic, a direct result of the sheer volume of farm animals housed in confined spaces.
Indiscriminate Use of Antibiotics
Further exacerbating these concerns is the widespread use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. The farm animals’ living conditions make them susceptible to illnesses, so industrial farming operations pump the livestock full of antibiotics to prevent sickness and loss of profit.
Alarmingly, 80% of all antibiotics produced globally are administered to animals raised for meat. Such indiscriminate use has led to the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, escalating the threat to public health.
Given the undeniable risks animal agriculture poses to both individual and public health, it’s hardly surprising that consumers worldwide are growing wary of animal-based and derived products.
As the connection between these health risks and conventional dietary choices becomes more evident, the move toward plant-based alternatives is likely to intensify.
Harness the Key Drivers of the Shift to a Plant-Based Diet
As consumers become more informed, their choices reflect a growing awareness of the effect of meat, fish and animal-based products on their health, the environment and animal welfare.
The pandemic has also underscored the global health risks presented by industrial animal farming. These combined drivers make a compelling case for adopting a plant-based diet.
Also read: Six Easy Ways to Detox the Air Pollution in Your Home
