EU/US: ‘Gigantic’ power of meat industry blocking green alternatives, study finds
EU/US: ‘Gigantic’ power of meat industry blocking green alternatives, study finds
Analysis of EU and US shows livestock farmers receive about 1,000 times more public funding than plant-based and cultivated meat
Unsurprising! So I guess meat and dairy products are going to become astronomically expensive?
The one thing that I can't find is a palatable alternative to cheese. Are there any yet?
Earth itself is fighting back with the lone star tick.
it's not really how it works. but it's a nice idea.
I know haha
Unsurprising! So I guess meet and dairy products are going to become astronomically expensive?
Alternative milks are currently more expensive than cow milk (by a long way). If that changes, I can see the dairy industry crashing.
The one thing that I can’t find is a palatable alternative to cheese. Are there any yet?
To be honest I haven't tried any. But I know lab-grown "milk" is becoming a thing, if you're after the same taste I'd guess that would be your best bet. Not sure if there are any yet.
Lab produced dairy will basically eliminate the dairy farm, once perfected the change will be swift and catastrophic.
2 to 3 years to design and build a plant, one reasonable sized facility will replace 60k cows, that is 20 big farms, 1000 hectares replaced by 4-10 hectares.
I think you need to make it cheaper than cow milk and taste pretty much the same, with a similar nutrient profile. There will still be holdouts but I think the cost thing will be the tipping point. Up until it's the cheapest option, it's still a premium product for a niche market. Once that tipping point is reached, I'd hate to be a dairy farmer.
Alternative milks are currently more expensive than cow milk (by a long way). If that changes, I can see the dairy industry crashing.
Not that much more if you compare 1l of dairy milk to 1l of alternate at the cheap end:
- $2.48 - Countdown Milk Standard
- $4.00 - Almond Milk
- $4.00 - Oat Milk
We buy powdered milk since we live out of town and it's so much more convenient for us. That works out at about $1.70 a litre - so yeah.
I would be interested in a powdered Oat Milk, for a "reasonable" price.
You don't seem to be able to buy alternative milks in large volume. I think it's fair to compare against the $1.87 per litre you pay if you buy a 3L countdown milk.
Oat milk is what I'm most interested in, I generally don't like the taste of soy, almond, or coconut even when they aren't milk. I quite enjoy oat milk though (but I also like oats). You just have to go into it knowing it won't taste like cow milk.
However even at $4 a litre it's still more than twice as much as the cow milk. You're right though, not as much as I thought.
Is this the production of casein protein as a bulk industrial ingredient or actual drinkable milk for the consumer?
Different labs around the world are trialing different things. Drinkable milk is definitely on the cards, but in NZ it seems the focus is on getting casein protein for making better vegan cheese and ice cream. There's an article talking with one NZ company here.
The milk, cheese, and ice cream is already being created and taste tested. The problem is the scale, it needs to be scaled up significantly from current quantities and this may be a challenge. But there are many places working on it, so it's likely just a matter of time.
Daiya cheese has a good taste and texture, across their varieties. My family even prefers their smoked Gouda to the dairy Gouda. None of the varieties melt quite like dairy cheese, but it's a small price to pay.
Dairy causes my rheumatoid arthritis and colitis to flare up, so I've had to find alternatives.
Daiya cheese
Looks interesting, though a quick search doesn't turn up anyone selling it in New Zealand yet.
Though non-dairy cheeses do appear to exist in NZ: third annual Vegan Society Vegan Cheese Awards
Even some in Countdown! Angel Food Cheese (made in NZ) and Veesey Cheese (product of Greece) - at $35.90 and $43.50 a kilo! I might try a small block (220g @ $7.90) of the Angel Food Cheddar Cheese just out of curiosity? Hopefully, in time, competition might drive the prices down a bit?
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The “gigantic” power of the meat and dairy industries in the EU and US is blocking the development of the greener alternatives needed to tackle the climate crisis, a study has found.
Cutting meat and dairy consumption also slashes pollution, land and water use, and the destruction of forests, with scientists saying it is the single biggest way for people to reduce their impact on the planet.
“The power of the animal farming sector, both in the US and in Europe, and the political influence they have is just gigantic,” said Prof Eric Lambin, who conducted the study with Dr Simona Vallone, both at Stanford University, US.
The researchers concluded that “powerful vested interests exerted their political influence to maintain the system unchanged and to obstruct competition created by technological innovations”.
Lambin said: “We found that the amazing obstacles to the upscaling of the alternative technologies relates to public policies that still massively fund the incumbent system, when we know it’s really part of the problem in terms of climate change, biodiversity loss and some health issues.”
Alex Holst, at the Good Food Institute Europe, said: “While European investment in sustainable proteins has increased in recent years, this study shows the sector is still only picking the crumbs off the EU’s table.
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