According to The New York Times, the country’s largest meat producer, Tyson Foods, invested in California-based vegan meat company Beyond Meat.
Last week, Tyson announced it had invested an undisclosed amount for a 5 percent stake in Beyond Meat, a leading vegan protein company.
This may shock some, but it was a wise business move. Meat consumption in the U.S. fell 15 percent in 2015 while sales of vegan protein products exploded. In fact, plant-based proteins are expected to make up a third of the protein market by 2054. This fact inspired the Plant Based Foods Association to form earlier this year. The group aims to bring together like-minded companies and promote plant-based products.
This sudden surge in meat alternatives is likely thanks to millennials. Now the largest in history, this new generation boasts more vegetarian members than any previous generation.
According to another piece from the Times, “An estimated 12 percent of millennials say they are ‘faithful vegetarians,’ compared with 4 percent of Gen X’ers and 1 percent of baby boomers. The Guardian suggests that this may be due to information sharing on social media.
Join the growing number of people who are taking a stand for animals, the environment, and their own health by transitioning to a plant-based diet.