The world is waking up to the risks of excessive meat consumption. 2019 saw five key developments that pave the way for fierce debate over the future of meat in 2020 and beyond.

1) Plant-based ‘meat’ went mainstream

Beyond Meat – pioneer of plant-based ‘meat’ that bleeds - grabbed business headlines in the Spring when its share price more than doubled on the first day of trading. Over the course of the year that followed, the world’s biggest fast food chains – including Burger King, McDonald’s, KFC and Subway – launched meatless ‘meat’ options in collaboration with Beyond Meat and its main competitor, Impossible Foods. Major retailers introduced leading plant-based ‘meat’ brands on their shelves; many more marketed their own plant-based ‘meat’ ranges.

2) Public interest in the ‘meat vs meatless’ debate soared

Mainstream media coverage of the health and environmental risks of excessive meat-eating spiked, and celebrity endorsements of plant-based living from the likes of Beyoncé, Jay Z and Simon Cowell, fuelled new interest in emerging meatless options. Avatar director, James Cameron, debuted his Netflix documentary, 'The Game Changers', which shone the spotlight on world-class athletes living a vegan lifestyle.

3) Evidence of the need for 'reduced meat' living to tackle climate change grew

The scientific community, coordinated by EAT and The Lancet, laid out new guidelines for following a healthy and sustainable diet. The IPCC – the global authority on climate science – emphasised the urgent need to adopt less meat-heavy diets in order to tackle the climate emergency. And a group of over 50 leading academics called on governments in rich countries to set a deadline for 'peak meat'.

4) Investors began to talk about cleaning up and moving out

Investor scrutiny of the meat industry intensified. The FAIRR Initiative – an investor network managing combined assets worth over $20 trillion – cautioned that companies face material risks from failure to responsibly manage the climate and public health impacts of their operations. 67 investors and companies urged President Bolsonaro of Brazil to keep in place key regulation protecting the Amazon rainforest against the expansion of soy production for animal feed. Major asset managers signalled that divestment from the meat sector was a possibility.

5) Meat producers fought back

While many big names in the meat industry moved to buy into the trend, others invested significant resources in resisting the encroachment of plant-based ‘meat’. A number of US states banned the use of meat-associated terms – ‘burger’, ‘sausage’, etc. – for plant-based foods; in the EU, interest groups pushed for similar rules. The European Livestock Voice – an industry group – ran a series of #MeattheFacts posters on the Brussels metro, illustrating anticipated impacts on local economies and the environment that a move away from meat would yield.

What we can expect in 2020

Next year, the battle between meat and meat alternatives will heat up. Courts in the US will rule on whether state-level labelling laws are in contravention of the First Amendment, and may move to block those laws as they have in Arkansas. The European Commission will debate the proposal for more restrictive labelling rules, determining the manner in which producers, retailers and restaurant outlets may market plant-based foods.

Landmark climate talks to be held in November will bring a renewed focus on the environmental imperative to shift global diets. Plant-based meat producers will look to move into new markets. And perhaps most important of all, cultured meat – meat grown not in an animal but in a brewery-like bioreactor – could enter the ring, challenging the very definition of ‘meat’ and shifting the rules of the game once again.