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The future of meat — and ‘meat’

Is there a way to reconcile society’s love affair with the taste of meat and dairy with the pressing need to reduce carbon emissions? Science writer Bob Holmes bores into the data — and offers up bottom lines for individual consumers and society at large.

An idealized factory churns out plant-based meat patties in an idyllic nature setting, while closed feedlots and poultry farms stand empty nearby.
Food & Environment

How sustainable are fake meats?

By Bob Holmes

Marketed to meat lovers, plant-based burgers like Impossible and Beyond claim to taste like the real thing and to have far lighter environmental footprints. Here’s what the numbers have to say.

Conceptual illustration shows sunrise on an agricultural landscape with crops and grazing cattle. In the center of the image is a dinner plate with large servings of greens, corn, beans and a small serving of meat.
Food & Environment

How much meat can we eat — sustainably?

By Bob Holmes

Scientists find that a small amount of animal products could have a place in our diets without wreaking environmental havoc. But it’s far less than what we consume today, and only if farmed in just the right way.

Illustration shows three large vats of cells and industrial tubing that output beef, chicken and dairy products.
Food & Environment

Getting lab-grown meat — and milk — to the table

By Bob Holmes

Beef, chicken and dairy made from cultured cells could offer a smaller footprint than conventional farms. Companies are working on scaling up and bringing prices down.

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