Lockdown Thoughts

The world is rapidly changing its attitudes towards climate change and sustainability. We have all seen this, but from my perspective as a business leader I can tell you that the conversations in the Board Room are changing too. This is going to create a great lever for change in an area we all need to worry about.

The signs of change are all around us right now. The other day I had to stop for a snack while on the road and chose fast food. I pulled into Burger King where they were advertising their plant based Rebel Whopper.

In an impulsive moment I decided to try it. Now, veggie burgers and meat substitutes have never been very good so my expectations were low, but I have been reading about how this industry is moving forwards so I thought it would be worth checking out. I was VERY surprised. The burger tasted like a burger should. Meaty, grainy in texture, smokey from the BBQ grill and well seasoned. Inside the bun with the other fresh ingredients it was every bit as tasty as the real thing. How things have changed.

The food and agriculture industry is responsible for around 24% of the worlds total 51 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions per year, and that excludes the transportation contribution. This comes from a variety of sources, but the contribution of the beef industry is particularly high since bovines have a tendency to create large amounts of methane in their digestive systems (i.e. burps and farts!). So this is a welcome development in my view. Whilst we are a long way from creating the experience of a great steak, I would be very happy substituting the Rebel Whopper in my diet in order to reduce the demand on the beef industry. If you are inclined (and don't mind that it is cooked on the same grill as the beef patty’s) then I highly recommend giving it a try. (As a note, I have no affiliation with BK and I am sure other offerings are as good these days!)

The future of food is going to be fascinating. Take a look at the technologies of vertical farming, lab-grown protein, printed food and precision agriculture if you want a glimpse of ‘tomorrow’s world’!

Ben Reed
Managing Director - HamiltonJet