“I think eventually these products will be very good, even though their share is small today.”
Business magnate Bill Gates has said that fake meat products will eventually be a “very good” option for consumers, especially for those not willing to go vegan or plant-based but looking to reduce their climate impact
The billionaire turned philanthropist made the comments on the social news website Reddit.
According to Gates, innovations like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, which are plant based food options that range from burger to chicken nugget alternatives, and the food technology company, Upside Foods, which takes animal cells to then grow meat in a laboratory environment, are crucial steps for reducing animal agriculture’s impact on climate change.
Hosting his annual Ask Me Anything session, Gates answered several questions around these issues. One user asked: “What’s your view on veganism/plant-based diets as a means to reduce climate impact? Also, how can this be educated to people on a wider scale on how to make this choice? Today we have a lot of subsidies for meat/dairy to make them affordable for people and that certainly doesn’t help either.”
“There are companies making ‘beef’ in new ways and people working to still use cows but reduce the methane emissions,” Gates replied.
Gates’ investments in fake meat companies
The 67-year-old, who is an investor in Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and Upside Foods (formerly known as Memphis Meats) has always promoted ‘synthetic’ meat products as a solution to climate change.
He said: “I have backed a number of innovators in this space, including Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods and Memphis Meats.I think eventually these products will be very good, even though their share is small today.”
He further added that he was less optimistic about the likelihood of the general public turning to veganism to save the climate.
“For people who want to go vegan that is great but I don’t think most people will do that,” he noted.
Gates went on to emphasize that what matters most when it comes to tackling climate change is to find solutions that are cost effective, no matter which industry is being discussed.
“The key on climate is making the clean products as cheap as the dirty products in every area of emission — planes, concrete, meat etc,” Gates explained.
“This is the only way we can ask all the countries in the world to change. If it costs a lot extra we won’t succeed.”
In addition, he stated “climate innovation” is one of the four things he is excited about in 2023.
Is fake meat the future?
Gates’s comments regarding fake meat products come as shares of Beyond Meat plunged nearly 80% in 2022 amid falling consumer demand.
Meanwhile, back in November, the FDA cleared laboratory-grown meat for human consumption, marking the agency’s first approval.
This means that Upside Foods will be able to bring its “cultivated chicken” products to the market once it has been inspected by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Caption: Bill Gates predicts fake meat and plant-based foods will ‘eventually’ be ‘very good’
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Gordon Ramsay Ditches Vegan Hate and Backs Flora’s Plant-Based Butter in New ‘Skip the Cow’ Campaign
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 28th January 2025
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, once infamous for his digs at vegans, has taken a sharp turn in the kitchen. Ramsay has teamed up with Flora, the famous UK-based spread brand, as its global ambassador, marking a bold new chapter in Flora’s “Skip the Cow” campaign. Flora, established in 1964, has long been a household name …
The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 27th January 2025
Latin America is experiencing an extraordinary rise in plant-based dining options. A new study, spearheaded by Veganuary in partnership with the food discovery platform HappyCow, reveals that Latin America now boasts over 10,000 vegan, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly restaurants—an impressive 21.6% jump compared to last year. Brazil takes the crown as the number one country, with …
Continue reading “The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. [wpViralQuiz id=27203]
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. [wpViralQuiz id=33494]
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. [wpViralQuiz id=31281] Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God