Plant-Based Burgers Aren’t Denting People’s Beef Addiction

One way to figure out the impact plant-based meats are having is to look at how price changes affect the demand for different types of meat. A study of retail data from a couple of years ago showed that when the price of plant-based meats went down, demand for them went up, but when the price of animal meats went up, demand for those products didn't change as much. The study found that plant-based meats were usually a substitute for chicken, turkey, and fish, which had a lower carbon footprint than beef. It seems that people see beef as a mainstay of their dinner plates, while other forms of food can come and go.

According to the data, the majority of people are using plant-based meats as an extra source of nutrition. People who aren't eating a lot of meat are turning to these products. The average American eats over 80 pounds of beef every year, so plant-based meat needs to be reduced to have a positive environmental impact.

Over the long term, Blaustein-Rejto is positive. In the US, plant-based burgers are more expensive than their animal equivalents. If the price of a beef burger and a plant-based patty were the same, about 20% to 30% of people would choose the plant-based option, according to survey data. A lot of people would switch from beef to plant-based alternatives if that was the case in the future. We might not see such a high rate of swap in the real world because people tend to exaggerate their decisions.

There are some signs that this could happen. In the Netherlands, rising meat prices mean that vegan meat is less expensive than its animal counterparts. In Europe, plant-based meat sales increased by 19 percent in 2021.

The focus of the plant-based meat industry is on taste and price, but more work needs to be done to make people aware of the environmental benefits of these foods. People's taste buds lead them in certain directions, but until they are informed or guided in that way, they won't get there. Because people who eat plant-based meats are the minority in the US, survey data shows that people view vegan meats much less favorably than beef burgers.