by Mark Doskow
As consumer demand for plant-based proteins has grown, interest from animal-based protein companies has grown with it. As these companies watch the desires of their consumers shift away from their products (the writing is clearly on the wall,) some companies are beginning to vest in these up and coming plant-based companies. While they do so, they continue to sell, market, and attempt to strengthen the positions of their existing animal-based products and profit off the exploitation and slaughter of animals.
Two recent investments have made big waves in the plant-based protein space. On Monday, Maple Leaf Foods acquired Lightlife Foods (read about it here,) and back in October Tyson Foods purchased 5% of Beyond Meat for an undisclosed amount (read about it here.)
When I read about these partnerships, I find myself torn between two sets of feelings:
The first: Joy and excitement. “Finally,” I think to myself, “the tide is shifting. These antiquated purveyors of death and violence are starting to see the light and the error of their ways. They see that the future is plant-based and they are wisely investing in that direction and their efforts will help improve the quality, volume, and accessibility of plant-based foods for all.”
The second feeling: Horror and Fear. I first ask myself, “Why would these young, compassionate, mission driven, cutting edge companies take blood money from, and tie themselves to these blood-thirsty dinosaurs (no offense to dinosaurs) who have profited for so many years off the abuse and death of animals.
Truthfully, when I think about these odd couplings, I can’t answer the seemingly simple question of, “Is this bad or good for vegans and veganism.” Part of me thinks these companies, our companies, need to stay the course and continue on their own, while another part of me, thinks this is a natural evolution and if these companies are smart they can use these partnerships to grow faster and bigger and increase their overall impact ten-fold.
What’s the right answer here? It’s surely more complicated than it just being “good” or “bad.” Am I or are you OK knowing that the revenue from your Lightlife sausage is going to support Maple Leaf Foods? Do you or I feel OK about Beyond Meat’s future growth being fueled by money made by Tyson Foods through the sale of chicken and all the violence that process entails?
Here’s what Ethan Brown, founder of Beyond Meat, had to say about the unlikely collaboration, and why he is “welcoming Tyson Foods as an investor.” I have to say that his reasoning didn’t convince me, but at the same time, it doesn’t make me any less excited for the future of Beyond Meat.
I guess all I/we can do is be cautiously optimistic, and hope that these plant-based companies know what they are doing and that when push comes to shove they will always put the integrity of their mission, the welfare of animals and the environment, and the desires of their consumers first. Can they? Will they? Time will tell, but it’s the responsibility of us all to hold them to the noble goals they initially set forth to achieve.
Vegan Food Group 