by Anna Lappé
At Real Food Media, we’re passionate about exposing the links between our industrial food system and the climate emergency. And there’s no denying: the production and over-consumption of industrial meat is a huge contributor to the crisis. So if you know our work, or if you’ve read my book Diet for a Hot Planet, it will come as no surprise that I am thrilled to see a booming interest in plant-centered diets as consumers understand more about the environmental impacts of industrial meat.
But the rush into plant-based meat alternatives has me worried: We need to be clear-eyed about these products, discerning between those that help us reduce our environmental foodprint and those that don’t. And meat alternatives like Impossible Foods’ “burger that bleeds”—which doubles down on chemical-intensive, GMO soy—is a far cry from being a planetary panacea. That’s what motivated me to write my latest op ed on Medium.
Have you tried the Impossible Burger? What steps are you taking to tackle the climate crisis through food? Let us know!
For more on the food and climate connection, listen to my Real Food Reads conversation about Diet for a Hot Planet, or check out our new Climate Organizing Toolkit for ways to dig in and take action.
