You can’t make this Sh** up!

Animal-free milk, eggs and meat are a reality. Consumer interest in these products is driven by their concerns for their own health, the environment and animal welfare.

If the livestock sector wondered what three topics they need to deal with and tell their good story about, there you have it. Failure to do so could lead to a tipping point, beyond which society takes on the view that livestock equals bad.

What messaging is out there about livestock now? 

Well, a current survey about animal-free (or cellular) products tells those completing the survey that “Current agricultural systems have reached full capacity”. Really? When one heads to the suggested link in the survey to learn more about cellular products, this is what they see regarding the benefits of cellular products: “Compared to their conventional counterparts (produced from livestock), cellular products have fewer environmental impacts, a safer, purer product, and a more consistent supply.”

Perhaps even more outrageous is the wording found in a current ad for Impossible Foods General Manager Australia/New Zealand:

“Impossible Foods is addressing the most catastrophic threats facing humanity… A global transition to a plant-based food system will turn back the clock on atmospheric CO2 levels, restore natural ecosystems and reverse meltdown in wildlife biomass. The easiest – if not only – way to make our civilization sustainable is to eliminate livestock, the most dangerous technology on Earth.”

You may be thinking that you can’t make this Sh** up but it is out there. The livestock sector must take note and take action: deal with consumer concerns about product impacts on their health, planet health and animal welfare and always seek to make improvements in each.

Failure to do so is to let someone else determine your future.