Probably a shift from restaurant consumption to at-home consumption or Those restaurants have been closed,” says Scott Brown, associateĮxtension professor in the University of Missouri’s College ofĪgriculture, Food & Natural Resources. Happening at the higher-end restaurants around the country, and many of In the face of COVID-19, because we often think of beef consumption “I’m surprised how strong beef demand was Took place last year compared to the previous one, amidĬoronavirus-related shutdowns. But meat consumption overall is on the rise, and during theĮarly days of the pandemic, some were surprised to find that consumersĪctually turned to beef more than usual: An additional $5.7 billion in beef sales It’s true that beef consumption is actually on the decline, with the average American eating less in 2019 ( 58.1 pounds) than they did during the 1970s, when the average person peaked at around 88.8 poundsĪ year. each of the previous five years, with the average American eating 224.3 pounds of beef, pork, and poultry in 2019. Until the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, meat consumption had steadily risen in the U.S. (As a result, beef often becomes an object of political performance.) Despite clear evidence that animal agriculture harms the planet, as of 2018, just 5 percent of Americans identify as vegetarianĪnd only 3 percent as vegan, numbers that have held steady for years.Īnd meat consumption is still growing in proportion to the rest of ourĭiets. Beef especially defines classic notions of masculinity, with hamburgers in particular often representing “American” identity, whatever that means. Intertwined with grand representational ideals. Than back away from burger-like proteins entirely in their quest to saveĬivilization shows how daunting a task it is to get people, especiallyĪmericans, to give up meat: In the U.S., eating meat has long been
The impulse of these startups to replicate beef rather Impossible Foods aims to “save meat, and earth,” while Beyond Meat bills itself as “the future of protein.” Both hawk plant-based meat alternatives, most notably in the form of ground beef-like bricks or patties that “bleed” just like the real thing. Against this apocalyptic backdrop, some of the most sophisticated plant-based proteins ever developed are marketing themselves as no less than potential planet savers. Grim new facts about meat’s impact on livestock, workers, and the planet seem to emerge every day, and when it comes to animal agriculture’s impact on the climate, the figures are particularly dour: The international livestock industry is responsible for 14.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, while the cattle industry is the main culprit in the deforestation and destruction of the Amazon, which releases carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Dying Planet or Not, Americans Won’t Stop Eating Beef Eater, by Nadra Nittle Mar 24, 2021ĭespite the well-documented environmental impacts of the meat industry and the explosion of the market for plant-based alternatives, American meat consumption remains high.