The future of meat is maggots?

Fake meat companies continue their crusade to strip cattle off the land and beef off the plate. Will they use maggots, crickets and kelp to do it?

Amanda Radke

May 17, 2021

3 Min Read
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When someone tells you who they are, believe them.

Fake meat companies want to strip cattle off the land and beef off the plate.

Impossible Foods says, “The best way to reduce your carbon footprint, limit global warming, halt the collapse of biodiversity, save wildlife and ensure enough clean water for all of us is to ditch meat from animals.”

Beyond Meat says, “What if we took this cow off the table, and just made friends with her? What if burgers got healthier? What if just taking the animal out of the meat made us and our planet healthier? What if we all go beyond?”

While consumer choice is great, and these fake meat companies might be fulfilling a consumer demand, their marketing rhetoric is riddled in falsehoods, emotionally-charged rhetorics and flat out lies.

With the help of some very savvy and concerned BEEF Daily readers, I’ve compiled some recent headlines from the fake meat camps that demonstrate what these companies are up to:

Related:Fake meats made from plants, cells & humans?

We need every agricultural organization to step up NOW to go on offense and protect hard-working cattle ranchers who work tirelessly to produce nutrient-dense beef and life-enriching by-products.

Because the truth of the matter is beef is healthy for humans and the planet, too.

With ten essential nutrients, including zinc, iron and protein, beef is a wholesome, natural product that belongs in a healthy diet. Beef is an excellent first food for babies, as it nourishes their rapidly growing brains and bodies. It’s also been shown to protect lean muscle mass and prevent sarcopenia in the elderly.

And cattle play a key role in environmental stewardship. Cattle upcycle feedstuffs that would otherwise end up in landfills. They minimize the spread of wildfires when they graze. They protect wildlife habitat. They fertilize and aerate the soil. They promote new plant growth. They can reverse desertification of the landscape. They utilize land that would otherwise sit barren.

Related:6 headlines with updates on activists, politicians & fake meats

It seems like every celebrity from Kim Kardashian to Ellen DeGeneres is wanting to slam fake meats down our throats. however, a new Gallup poll shows that more than 905 of consumers eat meat, with consumption expected to grow worldwide 1% in 2021.

Yet, in this new fake meat push, I’m seeing that there are some who believe the future of protein (once they get rid of cattle, of course) includes eating maggots, cicadas and crickets.

READ THAT AGAIN! They want us eating MAGGOTS, CICADAS and CRICKETS!!!

How would you like that on your grill? I’ll pass!

So what’s the point? Ignore the propaganda, and enjoy beef without the guilt, fear or confusion. And if you want to know more about beef and how it’s raised, ask a local rancher who can not only show you how he cares for his fields, pastures and cattle, but he can also hook you up with some incredible burgers and steaks, too!

I think I’ll have a ribeye for supper tonight. How about you?

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.

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