2022 Articles

Ethical and economic implications of the adoption of novel plant-based beef substitutes in the USA: a general equilibrium modelling study

Mason-D'Croz, Daniel; Barnhill, Anne; Bernstein, Justin; Bogard, Jessica; Dennis, Gabriel; Dixon, Peter; Fanzo, Jessica C.; Herrero, Mario; McLaren, Rebecca; Palmer, Jeda; Rieder, Travis; Rimmer, Maureen; Faden, Ruth

Background Slowing climate change is crucial to the future wellbeing of human societies and the greater environment. Current beef production systems in the USA are a major source of negative environmental impacts and raise various animal welfare concerns. Nevertheless, beef production provides a food source high in protein and many nutrients as well as providing employment and income to millions of people. Cattle farming also contributes to individual and community identities and regional food cultures. Novel plant-based meat alternatives have been promoted as technologies that could transform the food system by reducing negative environmental, animal welfare, and health effects of meat production and consumption. Recent studies have conducted static analyses of shifts in diets globally and in the USA, but have not considered how the whole food system would respond to these changes, nor the ethical implications of these responses. We aimed to better explore these dynamics within the US food system and contribute a multiple perspective ethical assessment of plant-based alternatives to beef.