The problems with ‘fake’ meat

By Ellen Heaselgrave

As a proud vegetarian, a person preparing to take on Veganuary, and a lover of tasty, easy meals, I eat ‘fake’ meat products. Quorn meatballs and mince are weekly regulars in my household, as is fake crispy aromatic duck whenever it is Chinese takeaway night.

However, the recent public health interest in ultra processed foods has led me to reflect on the impacts of eating a lot of fake meat on my body. This concern was amplified by the environmental and social justice concerns raised in Terra Viva, My Life in a Biodiversity of Movements, by Vandana Shiva. This book, which I would highly recommend, is an auto-biographical look at the agricultural justice movements Shiva has founded or been involved with over her humbling career. Alongside descriptions of her life and work, Shiva argues eloquently for agroecological practices, or food and farming systems which prioritise the health of the soil, animals, plants and people above all else.

I found myself strongly agreeing with all of the book’s ideas on fairer agricultural systems, however the points Shiva raises in the chapter Seeds of Freedom about the impacts of fake meat gave me pause. Here, Shiva directs her critiques against unhealthy, destructive food systems against the hypocrisy of the fake food industry marketing their products on health and ecological benefits.

For example, the soybeans grown for Impossible Burgers are sprayed with the pesticide Round-Up, a confirmed carcinogen which is known to leave residues in the body which can disrupt nutrient pathways to the gut. Plant based meat and dairy products have also been associated with deforestation and high water resource usage, largely for crops like soybeans and almonds (Holmes, 2022). In Shiva’s home country of India, traditional farming practices which cause little ecological disruption, and traditional crops like nutritious, native pulse species are being lost due to the pressures of global food markets, for less healthy and more toxic practices.

Shiva comments on the motivations of the growing ‘fake’ food industry, saying ‘those gambling on the Fake Food goldrush have no discernable knowledge or concern for living beings and the web of life’ (103). Rather, she argues, global agribusinesses are simply future-proofing their monopolies over seeds, crops and supply chains.

‘This is about profits and control’

Shiva uses a lifetime of research and activism to highlight the problem with fake food industries. Of course, she does not contest the ecological and social injustices of global meat and dairy production, rather she highlights the similar industrial practices and economic interests driving fake food growth. Research by Holmes (2022) highlights that fake food products, particularly burgers, almost always use less water, land and energy, and produce far less emissions than the meat they replicate. Despite strong arguments against the industry, Shiva does not condemn the consumer for buying processed fake foods. Rather, she advocates for fair access to organic, fresh, and diverse foods, and stronger protections for the farmers providing these.

As such, this brought me to my meatballs, mince and fake duck, as I mentally prepare to take part in Veganuary in a month, exploring a new diet which could easily (although expensive) contain fake meat, cheese and eggs every day. Shiva’s systems-led view of ecological and economic systems was a useful personal reminder of my connection as a consumer to the farmers and land who provide my food. As such, I plan to reach for organic lentils, beans and chickpeas where I can, over fake meats, for my role in encouraging a more just and healthy world.

Holmes, B. (2022) How sustainable are fake meats?  https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/food-environment/2022/how-sustainable-are-fake-meats

Shiva. V (2022) Terra Viva, My Life in a Diversity of Movements. Chelsea Green Publishing, London.

Ellen Heaselgrave is our newest Slow Food UK contributor. She graduated from a Geography Master’s course in 2023 and has been exploring career options in environmental communication or policy.

Ellen is constantly seeking new ways to learn about environmental systems. In particular, she is fascinated by food and agriculture as intimate ways humans interact with the land and as brilliant examples of interconnected economic and ecological systems.