Plant-based meat alternatives, once hailed as a solution to America’s environmentally damaging appetite for conventional meat, are facing a severe downturn, with sales plummeting due to a resurgent, politically-backed pro-meat trend and aggressive industry lobbying. Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are struggling as the meat industry successfully brands plant-based options as “ultra-processed” and unhealthy, even as research suggests they are often healthier than processed meat; this cultural shift is also bolstered by high-protein diet advocates and the Trump administration’s pro-meat stance. Ultimately, plant-based products, which represent only 1% of the total US meat market and are often more expensive than meat, have failed to gain traction because, despite acknowledging environmental benefits, the vast majority of consumers prioritize taste and price, not sustainability, reflecting a deep-seated American cultural connection to meat that has kept the vegetarian and vegan population stagnant for decades.
Source: Vegan burgers are losing the US culture war over meat: ‘It’s not our moment’