Fake meat sales plummet reigniting the ‘plant-based fad’ debate

Once championed as a way to simultaneously prevent animal cruelty and fight the climate crisis, the protein alternative industry looks to be tanking. This poses the question: is the veganism hype losing its spark?

In recent years, it’s become common knowledge that replacing the dearth of meat in the average person’s diet with plant-based alternatives is a sure-fire way to prevent animal cruelty and fight the climate crisis.

These substitutes — which are far more resource conservative, environmentally friendly to produce, and give the livestock industry space to pivot towards more ethical practices — soared in popularity post-lockdown especially, as the pandemic gave consumers an opportunity to consider being more socially conscious.

Ever since, start-ups like Impossible Foods, Tofurky, and Quorn have risen to fame, with the market at large now said to be worth over £1.7bn.

Not to mention that you’d be hard-pressed to traverse the supermarket aisles these days without spotting at least a few meat-free options on the shelves.