COVID-19 Boosts Demand of Cellular Meat Products

Nothing will be same in the world after the coronavirus pandemic comes to a halt. We are already seeing the transition into the new sustainable way of life. Meat sales are dropping and plant-based foods are experiencing a sudden rise in demand. In US only, the industry witnessed a spike of 280% in sales. The consumers are conscious of what came to their plate but the coronavirus outbreak was the tipping point. This was the time
for people to rethink their dietary choices, if not out of compassion then, out of fear.
Though the sales have plunged rapidly, the prospects for the industry seem bright, especially when animal populations are on a declining trend amidst growing consumption trend of animal meat. There is a clear demand-supply strain on the food chain. Global population is set to reach 7.8 billion people by the end of 2020. This comes with the challenge to secure sustainable, nutritious and plant-friendly food supplies.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created a heightened awareness regarding the vulnerability of our planet, consumers are taking a closer look at current food systems, how our food is sourced, and how their food choices can make a difference.” said Lou Cooperhouse, President and CEO of BlueNalu, a global leader in cellular aquaculture. Another factor that is driving the change is the rising awareness of people towards the reality of the meat industry. “There has been a growing awareness among the general population about the concerns with animal agriculture from human and environmental health perspectives.” said Kimberlie Le, Co-Founder of Prime Roots, a leading alternative meats and seafood brand. The Non-profit partnership for Healthier America,which is an organization improving the health of children through diet and exercise, founded by America’s former first lady Michelle Obama, will be hosting their 10 th
Anniversary summit online. The online summit will feature Michelle Obama along with Ethan Brown, Founder and CEO of Beyond Meat as the keynote speaker and NBA player Chris Paul.

When famous celebrities around the world are endorsing this sustainable lifestyle, old habits are set to transition. Factory farms are set to close as we transition, certainly because of their defamatory connection with disease and their negligent usage of antibiotics. Greger puts it bluntly: “If you actually want to create global pandemics, then build factory farms. When we overcrowd animals by the thousands, in cramped football-field-size sheds, to lie beak to beak or snout to snout, and there’s stress crippling their immune systems, and there’s ammonia from the decomposing waste burning their lungs, and there’s a lack of fresh air and sunlight, put all these factors together and you have a perfect-storm environment for the emergence and spread of disease” said Michael Greger, the author of Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching. Plant based foods are the sustainable and ethical way of meeting future food requirements and this pandemic has been the thrust that we have been longing for a really long time.