Is A Vegan World On The Horizon?
Interest in veganism has been steadily on the rise in the last decade, particularly among the younger generation. But while individuals have heeded the call to live a more responsible and compassionate lifestyle, the business models of the biggest contributors to the evils of animal agriculture – the fast food industry – have remained largely stagnant… until now.
Let’s face it: The planet is in peril, and animal agriculture is the leading driver of environmental devastation, species extinction and pollution. Trillions (annually) of both land and sea animals suffer immeasurably and die violently for the sake of human appetites, and we are feeding more than half of the world’s grain crops to sustain animals raised for consumption, while one billion people are starving or malnourished. The current trajectory is not sustainable or ethically sound for any terrestrial beings.
It has also been scientifically established that balanced plant-based diets are not only healthy and nutritionally complete, they can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, reverse type 2 diabetes, and reduce inflammation and cancer risk. For years, the vegan community has been lobbying the fast food industry with these facts, in the hope that those corporations will start the shift to a vegan model – and it appears the message is finally getting through.
The greatest indicator that we are on the precipice of a seismic shift is that the worst offenders are joining the club. Burger King has committed to serving Impossible Whoppers (made from the plant-based Impossible Burger) nationwide by the end of 2019. White Castle now offers not one, but TWO different vegan sliders on their menu. TGIFriday’s, Carl’s Jr. and BurgerFi carry the Beyond Burger at all locations. Taco Bell and Chipotle have offered vegan options for years. Kentucky Fried Chicken has announced they are working on a vegan version of their famous fried chicken – and Chick-fil-A is currently researching plant-based options. If these vegan menu items are successful (and the industry believes they will be), they may eventually replace the animal products so inextricably tied to these restaurants. Even animal ag giants Tyson and Maple Leaf have begun to heavily invest in the plant-based food space, as suppliers.
But perhaps nothing illustrates the shift to a vegan world more than the recent news of Beyond Meat’s beyond successful IPO. On May 2, the day the company made their initial public offering, Beyond Meat’s stock spiked 163%, making it the best IPO of 2019, and becoming the biggest opening day rally in over a decade. Beyond Meat’s gains continued through the past two weeks, with many Wall Street pundits believing the trend will continue on a long-term basis.
With the ever-increasing awareness of Big Ag’s singular contribution to animal abuse, environmental destruction and human health crises, the demand for a transition to a vegan, sustainable world model has become urgent. And if the response of the fast food industry and Wall Street is any indication, we may be living in a vegan world sooner than we think!