As vegetarian and vegan diets become increasingly trendy, the meat-alternative market has blown up. From Beyond Meat to Moving Mountains, it feels as though there’s a new company popping up every other week. Looking at the vegetarian section in Sainsbury’s is resonant to stepping into Shoreditch – trendy, Silicon-valley fuelled startups at a bank-breaking price. But, much like the gentrification of London neighbourhoods, this shift is detrimental to those on lower incomes as the growing popularity of meat alternatives has led to an increase in the price tag. As we wake up to the health and environmental benefits of cutting down on meat, the vegetarian sector needs to evaluate its role in enabling everyone to access a meat-free diet, regardless of the size of their paycheck.
“How can we work towards a healthier, greener nation if that is not attainable for everyone?”
A vegetarian diet is becoming increasingly unaffordable. In 2018, The Grocer reported that the cost of meat alternatives was up by 2% year on year, with vegetarian sausages up 10% and Quorn mince up 11.6%. More recently, research conducted by The Grocer in 2019 showed that switching the meat and dairy in your shop for alternatives could add more than £8 to your basket. If you’re purchasing your dinner from Tesco today, you could buy two Beyond Meat plant-based burgers for £4.40 or you could pay £3.00 for two Tesco finest beef burgers. For someone on a low-income, the choice is simple, particularly with a recession on the horizon and access to food banks surging.
This must be taken into account by meat-free producers. The UK government recently unveiled its strategy to tackle obesity, leading to a growing conversation about the high cost of a healthy diet. But what about the price of an environmentally friendly one? The recent exposure of Boohoo and subsequent boycott saw a backlash in defence of those who cannot afford the significantly higher cost of ethical clothing brands. Here we see the same tensions at play. While those who can afford to live in an ethical, healthy and sustainable manner have a moral obligation to do so, what about those who are excluded? How can we work towards a healthier, greener nation if that is not attainable for everyone?
While it is unacceptable that today’s wage laws mean an individual’s income may not be enough to feed their family, the meat-free market has a role to play in becoming more inclusive. A healthy, ethically-sustainable diet should not be a luxury and basic meat-free products should be affordable for all. With obesity at an all time high and the climate crisis escalating rapidly, it is imperative that meat alternative producers and distributors shift their focus from extravagant products to more basic foods at a lower cost. Otherwise, the sector is on route to become another that is culpable in exacerbating the divisions between those who can afford a healthy, sustainable lifestyle and those who cannot.
Helen Packer
Featured Image courtesy of Anna Pelzer via Unsplash.