Philanthropist Bill Gates states that plant-based food alternatives will eventually be quite good

January 17th, 2023

Both in Asia, the US and the world over, vegan meat substitutes that resemble meat have been available for a long time. Most recently, the menus of well-known chain restaurants, such Burger King, Del Taco, and KFC, are increasingly featuring plant-based meat. In fact, most supermarkets have a dedicated section for it that is filled with a wide range of vegetarian substitutes, from burgers to breakfast bowls. The goal of companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, which use food tech and scientific research to create plant-based meats that are remarkably similar to, if not identical to, animal meats, is to replace animal-based ingredients while maintaining the appearance, texture, flavour, and aroma of real meat. 

This requires a more involved and thorough processing technique. Nevertheless, new formulations have improved their popular acceptance. Hence, popular meat substitute businesses like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, as well as well-known investors like Bill Gates and Twitter cofounders Evan Williams and Bi Stone, have all benefited from consumer demand. Despite the fact that just a small portion of items are sold as "vegan meat," billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates expressed optimism that synthetic meat products will eventually be a "really good" alternative for consumers. 

Gates’ views on plant-based food alternatives

Gates cited plant-based food alternatives like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, as well as the food technology startup Upside Foods, which uses animal cells to manufacture meat in a lab setting, as essential steps in the effort to reduce the consumption of animals. Gates reportedly said, "I think someday these goods will be very good even though their share is little today," in reference to addressing the climate catastrophe.

The climate activist commented, "That is excellent," but added that most people will not opt to eliminate meat from their diet. I don't think most people will do that," he remarked, adding that there needed to be alternatives to meat in order to reduce meat consumption.

UN warned that climate change hasn’t been tackled sufficiently

Animal husbandry is a major contributor to climate change, according to the majority of research, yet estimates of its impact on greenhouse gas emissions range from 10 to 20 percent of global emissions. The UN issued a warning this year that not enough has been done to implement the measures included in the 2015 Paris Climate Accord to reduce global warming.

Gates remains hopeful about the future of the planet

When asked about how effectively the world is combating global warming, Gates responded, "The speed of invention is actually picking up, even though we won't meet the existing timetables or prevent going above 1.5 [degrees Celsius]." Bill asserted that he "still believes we can prevent a catastrophic conclusion."

“The key on climate is making the clean products as cheap as the dirty products in every area of emission — planes, concrete, meat etc. This is the only way we can ask all the countries in the world to change. If it costs a lot extra we won’t succeed. We need support on climate from both parties in the U.S. and in all countries,” Gates added, noting that “staying hopeful is a good thing.”