The Beyond Burger debuted in restaurants and stores across Hong Kong in April 2017. It's a plant-based burger made of peas for protein, beetroot for a beefy red color, and coconut oil and potato starch. According to its makers, the ingredients together create a juiciness and chew like animal meat. The burger has gained significant media attention, along with other new entrants like the high-profile Impossible Burger, which is made from plant-based protein designed to bleed like meat.
<p>For Beyond Meat, the Los Angeles-based company behind the Beyond Burger, Hong Kong represented its first overseas destination. And the successful launch there, alongside continued growth in the U.S. market, has given the company the confidence to go global, according to CEO and founder Ethan Brown. The company announced <a href="http://beyondmeat.com/press/view/global-expansion" target="_blank">plans</a> in early May for international expansion across 50 countries. This type of development is a big success for a company where its signature product, the Beyond Burger, was only launched two years prior.</p><p>This new breed of plant-based products is aiming to disrupt the protein market by challenging iconic symbols of meat culture, like hamburgers, nuggets and pork buns.</p><p>When <a href="http://thebutchers.club/" target="_blank">The Butchers Club</a> opened its gourmet burger restaurant in Hong Kong in 2014, it offered full-blooded meat options on the menu. It was an extension of the original concept of the company, which was based around a small group of chefs and butchers' passion for bringing high-quality meat to Hong Kong diners. According to its website, its signature red meat burgers are made from a recipe of 100-percent natural, grain-fed, dry-aged Australian beef. But in May 2017, the menu took a surprising turn and embraced the Beyond Burger.</p><p>Twelve months later, the introduction of this plant-based meat has been so successful that The Butchers Club now has three Beyond Burgers on the menu. Visitors can choose from the Beyond Classic, the Beyond Wu Tang-Style and for vegan cheese-burger lovers, the Beyond Double Happiness.</p><p>Perhaps most surprising, however, is how well the burgers are selling in this iconic red meat burger restaurant. The company now claims that around 12.5 percent of total sales come from their vegan range. But sales can spike with promotions—a recent campaign six weeks ago saw the vegan range taking 25 percent of sales or double the typical amount.</p><p>Jonathan Glover, the founder of The Butchers Club, says a big reason for introducing the Beyond Burger was about offering customers choice. That's not surprising given <a href="http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/special-report-the-rise-in-flexitarian-lifestyles.html" target="_blank">increasing consumer interest</a> in plant-based proteins and growing public concerns around the environmental, ethical, and health impacts of meat. According to a 2016 <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/03/16/1523119113" target="_blank">Oxford University study</a>, a global shift towards mainly plant-based diets and reduced meat consumption could save up to 8 million lives by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds, and lead to healthcare-related savings and avoided climate damages of US$1.5 trillion.</p><p>Glover also admits that Hong Kong consumers like a trend. "There are people that purely just want to buy a new product," he said. "We also have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan">vegans</a> or <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegetarian">vegetarians</a> coming to our burger restaurant for the first time, which is great, it has created a new market for us. But we think many of our customers ordering the vegan burgers are meat eaters curious about trying the burgers. We make the burgers look, taste, and smell like our meat burgers. And we have created a concept around them, which means we offer something quite unique and delicious."</p><p>When asked how far vegan and vegetarian options can go on The Butchers Club menu, Glover remains open: "We don't have an end-game. We believe in giving the customer what they want. We want to offer quality choice, whatever the ingredients. So, if there is demand, why not? We're going to add products. We're working on a new vegan product right now, for example."</p><p>But according to Glover, it's not always simple. "Introducing these burgers made us think a lot. It's not easy. Coming from meat-centric restaurant and offering a vegan option, people think it's just taking away the meat, but there is a lot more to it than that," he explained. "Everything needs to be rethought, as animal products are part of so many products. We had to work hard to combine elements of taste, smell, texture, and appearance. To create an overall experience for the consumer. It also must look great. It's a combination of many things to make it successful."</p><p>While talking about the need for reducing meat consumption, Glover mentions his own efforts and says he goes meatless for at least one day of the week. He stresses that offering good choices to customers is one of the key success factors for any dietary change, and he sees meat reduction being a slow evolution that will happen over the next couple of decades.</p><p>"What I think is smart about products like Beyond Meat is that it is targeted for everyone," he explained. "It shows meat-eaters that there are different options. If the goal is to get everyone to eat less meat, this is a good way to do it. It's a soft approach, rather than a name-and-shame approach, which veganism has been guilty of in the past. But long-term, I think the shift towards less meat and more plant protein will be inevitable."</p>
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One of the largest meat companies in the U.S. is ramping up its investment in lab-grown animal protein in response to growing demand for meat worldwide.
Tyson Foods, which supplies about one in five pounds of chicken, beef and pork produced in the U.S., announced Monday that their venture capital arm had purchased a minority stake in Memphis Meats, a San Francisco-based "clean" meat startup.
<p> Tyson has also invested in <a href="http://beyondmeat.com" target="_blank">Beyond Meat</a>, a startup that produces plant-based meat alternatives, and other Memphis Meat investors include Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Cargill. Tyson CEO Tom Hayes explained in a <a href="https://www.tysonfoods.com/who-we-are/the-feed/why-we-are-investing-alternative-proteins" target="_blank">statement</a> that the company is "giving our growing population more ways to feel good about the protein they're eating" and "giving today's consumers what they want and feeding tomorrow's consumers sustainably for years to come." </p><p>As reported by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tyson-lab-grown-meat-startup-memphis-meats-bill-gates-2018-1" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Proponents of food that mimics meat argue that it's more environmentally friendly than raising traditional livestock. Globally, traditional animal farming accounts for about <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/one-third-of-our-greenhouse-gas-emissions-come-from-agriculture-1.11708" target="_blank">18%</a> of greenhouse emissions, uses <a href="https://www.ifpri.org/news-release/gfpr-2016-press-release" target="_blank">47,000</a> square miles of land annually, and exhausts <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture/impacts/water_use/" target="_blank">70%</a> of the world's water.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">Tyson faced<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tyson-foods-animal-abuse-report-2017-12" target="_blank"> controversy</a> in the last few years over allegations of <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tyson-foods-results-idUSKBN15L1DF" target="_blank">price fixing</a> and <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/08/10/facing-animal-abuse-allegations-tyson-foods-retrain-poultry-workers/88544680/" target="_blank">chicken abuse</a>, but Tyson CEO Tom Hayes <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/03/07/tyson-foods-ceo-future-food-might-be-meatless.html" target="_blank">said</a> the company is committed to contributing to a sustainable food system.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">The plant-based meat industry is expected to <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/40508181/get-ready-for-a-meatless-meat-explosion-as-big-food-gets-on-board" target="_blank">grow globally</a> in coming years, despite the fact that <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-02/have-a-meaty-new-year-americans-will-eat-record-amount-in-2018" target="_blank">red meat consumption</a> may hit an all-time high this year in the United States."</p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2018/01/29/exclusive-interview-tyson-invests-in-lab-grown-protein-startup-memphis-meats-joining-bill-gates-and-richard-branson/#578c53433513" target="_blank">Forbes</a> noted that Memphis Meats is still a startup without commercial production:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"One big hurdle is the sheer cost of producing the meat—currently runs around $2,400 to produce a single pound of its meat, which is often called 'cultured' or 'clean.'<br></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">But a meat giant like Tyson, which sells about $30 billion a year of beef, poultry and pork, can help advise Memphis Meats on how to scale up. 'We want to work with them to scale. Cost is the main focus for us,' Memphis Meats CEO and cofounder Uma Valeti told Forbes. 'At the end point, it will be significantly cheaper than conventional meat.'"</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="332cd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="YQI3SI1576662641"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="954064272597929984" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Future of Food: 8 Business Leaders Investing to End Slaughterhouses https://t.co/edYc6OqYHP @OrganicConsumer… https://t.co/36uWrfEb2K</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/954064272597929984">1516301622.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
<p><strong><span></span>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/tyson-takes-stake-in-cultured-meat-startup-1517244019?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=3" target="_blank">WSJ</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-29/tyson-joins-bill-gates-cargill-to-invest-in-lab-meat-producer" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arkansas/articles/2018-01-29/tyson-foods-announces-investment-in-food-tech-startup" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2018/01/29/exclusive-interview-tyson-invests-in-lab-grown-protein-startup-memphis-meats-joining-bill-gates-and-richard-branson/#7b73fd153351" target="_blank">Forbes</a>, <a href="http://fortune.com/2018/01/29/tyson-memphis-meats-investment/" target="_blank">Fortune</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tyson-lab-grown-meat-startup-memphis-meats-bill-gates-2018-1" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>, <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2018/01/29/tyson-foods-invests-in-lab-grown-meat-startup.html" target="_blank">Fox Business</a>, Background: <a href="https://climatenexus.org/climate-issues/food/" target="_blank">Climate Nexus backgrounders on animal agriculture and climate change</a></p><p> <em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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From Silicon Valley tech moguls to business executives and entrepreneurs, these people know that the future of food means not slaughtering animals.
<p><strong>1. Bill Gates</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzA5NTg5MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjY1MDQ2NX0.Z9swHpaYc2q85Sb4u14l-7EeDX4LAk0WPic-tsTM51E/img.jpg?width=980" id="50ecd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3197f78a5cc51f8489ecfc008aaa8ab3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">JStone / <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-september-24-bill-gates-155863772?src=ISnaUJMaTBUFcnl9zdH-7g-1-1" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a></small></p><p>The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist known for fighting world hunger has made major investments in both plant-based and clean meat companies, such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-a-startup-that-makes-fake-meat-from-plants-caught-the-attention-of-bill-gates-and-the-founders-of-twitter-2015-7" target="_blank">Beyond Meat</a> and <a href="https://www.mercyforanimals.org/breaking-major-meat-producer-invests-in-clean" target="_blank">Memphis Meats</a>.<br></p><p><strong>2. Sir Richard Branson</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzA5NTk1Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTAwNTA2OH0.3bY7LPAC4a7H6Jh_UcYSbfnFRTy-lQufpOj0i_dLixo/img.jpg?width=980" id="98418" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ebf8e83c28fdf73939a21f88f0283564" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Prometheus72 / <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/istanbul-turkey-november-17-famous-english-171314354?src=3pXoNesbJBupLn3LGSSs1g-1-6" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a></small></p><p>Sir Richard Branson founded Virgin Group. Like Bill Gates, Branson has made significant investments in both plant-based and clean meats. Last year, he invested in the <a href="https://www.mercyforanimals.org/breaking-major-meat-producer-invests-in-clean" target="_blank">clean meat startup Memphis Meats</a>.<br></p><p>In a blog post, <a href="https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2017/09/29/richard-branson-is-predicting-the-end-of-meat-in-30-years-will-he-be-right/23227638/" target="_blank">Branson wrote</a>, "I believe that in 30 years or so, we will no longer need to kill any animals and that all <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat-consumption">meat</a> will either be clean or plant-based, taste the same and also be much healthier for everyone."</p><p><strong>3. Lisa Feria</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzA5NTk3MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTY0ODU4NH0.NoYIM2_vr-ApIU0PSH0Tukc6zvmOUz00p5AnjtZpNu4/img.jpg?width=980" id="61c8c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="39de5f215b1c77bf333bad330edcc9f4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Frederic Legrand-COMEO / <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/deauville-france-may-26-2011-google-182167508?src=54-lGIteIhHetsekJ45Tvg-1-0" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a></small></p><p>Lisa Feria is the CEO of <a href="https://straydogcapital.com/" target="_blank">Stray Dog Capital</a>, a firm that invests in early-stage startups, products and services that will replace the use of animals in the food supply chain. Under Feria's leadership, Stray Dog has made investments in <a href="https://beyondmeat.com/" target="_blank">Beyond Meat</a>, <a href="https://www.kite-hill.com/" target="_blank">Kite Hill</a>, <a href="https://www.memphismeats.com/" target="_blank">Memphis Meats</a> and more.<br></p><p><strong>4. Eric Schmidt</strong></p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzA5NTk4OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDQ0ODYyMH0.f9j5A2yLrOwzJ1Ng37-1wDUxcpg8eCf4c5rUV91-2d4/img.jpg?width=980" id="f7422" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7aeb6d8109d23dd9c372e6e832d00fa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Frederic Legrand-COMEO / <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/deauville-france-may-26-2011-google-182167508?src=54-lGIteIhHetsekJ45Tvg-1-0" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a></small></p>
<p>Eric Schmidt served as executive chairman of Google's parent company, Alphabet, from 2011-2018. After Google attempted to buy the plant-protein startup Impossible Foods, Schmidt stated that <a href="https://www.livekindly.co/googles-executive-chairman-predicts-vegan-revolution-coming/" target="_blank">a vegan revolution was coming</a>.<br></p><p><strong>5. Miyoko Schinner</strong></p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzA5NTk5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTQ0ODU1Mn0.mrgjB9pw703ko6ONFHeBSjEtM2k3IL6lM1kiJKe18Kc/img.jpg?width=980" id="fa8f7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8ddf07d86d5a913b6774618d9d36f611" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
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<p>Miyoko Schinner, the formidable force behind <a href="https://www.chooseveg.com/miyoko-for-president-vegan-cheese-maker-sets" target="_blank">Miyoko's Creamery</a>, is changing the game of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan">vegan</a> cheese market as well as the lives of the farmed animals she rescues in her spare time.<br></p><p><strong>6. Sergey Brin</strong></p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzA5NTk5Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNDA4NDI0OH0.8IjwplAZ0RuzfUdSx7lPAmSHVprsqQl6PZd6pMiRXtU/img.jpg?width=980" id="64bd2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c279457edc7a4b438e85fe73f45afb10" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Thomas Hawk / Flickr</small></p><p>Google co-founder Sergey Brin provided $330,000 to fund the world's first cultured hamburger. He <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2013/aug/05/google-burger-sergey-brin-lab-grown-hamburger" target="_blank">describes</a> clean meat as a technology with "the capability to transform how we view our world."</p><p><strong>7. Liz Dee</strong></p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzA5NjAwNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTcxNzcxOH0.mrs2VTHHHTAI0yozPGLuMYoiHXCcxaQlBGL8X2kjTtQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="e3f6e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bb4ff69d6d9a80782627cfc23e1bb15e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
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<p>Smarties co-owner Liz Dee is also the CEO of Baleine & Bjorn Capital. She's made investments in the clean meat company <a href="https://www.memphismeats.com/" target="_blank">Memphis Meats</a>, vegan clothing brand <a href="https://vautecouture.com/" target="_blank">Vaute Couture</a> and plant-based food companies <a href="https://www.purplecarrot.com/" target="_blank">Purple Carrot</a> and <a href="https://www.nutpods.com/" target="_blank">Nutpods</a>.</p><p><strong>8. Li Ka-shing</strong></p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzA5NjAzNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTk1MjE1Mn0.5K8l4N6vSUluZhhaZsi0u0COvySCG3ajo8QdTUFxEJ4/img.jpg?width=980" id="b86f9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5a85a87b89a0cff561e3ae533bad6ef2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
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<p><strong></strong>Li Ka-shing is a Hong Kong business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He's committed to changing the way the world eats by investing in the plant-based meat company <a href="https://www.impossiblefoods.com/" target="_blank">Impossible Foods</a>.</p><p>You don't need to be an entrepreneur or billionaire philanthropist to help create a more compassionate world. Just switch to a <a href="https://www.mercyforanimals.org/killing-animals-is-killing-the-planet-heres" target="_blank">sustainable</a> and <a href="https://www.mercyforanimals.org/here-are-the-top-10-health-concerns-linked" target="_blank">healthy</a> vegan diet.</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.alternet.org/animal-rights/8-business-leaders-who-are-investing-close-slaughterhouses-good" target="_blank">AlterNet</a>.</em></p>
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Ethan Brown—the founder and CEO of vegan company Beyond Meat—has big dreams for his products, and they appear to be coming true in rapid succession.
His first goal was to have his revolutionary vegan Beyond Burger available in stores' refrigerated meat sections (in order to appeal to meat-eaters, too). The first Whole Foods to carry it sold out of the product within an hour. Now, Beyond Meat has unveiled its new vegan Beyond Sausage.
<p style="">The brats—whose soy- and gluten-free protein comes from peas, fava and rice—will be available in three varieties: Original Bratwurst, Sweet Italian and Hot Italian.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ae86e38d5ed908a3799c8362447c5b01"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/beyondmeat/videos/1631392570251290/" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p style="">There's been quite a buzz because of Beyond Meat's impressive list of investors—including Bill Gates, Twitter cofounders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, Tyson Foods, and former McDonald's CEO Don Thompson. Brown knows that the future of food is vegan, and Beyond Meat aims to disrupt the $48 trillion meat industry.<br></p><p style=""><strong>See how realistic these meat-free sausages look:</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style="">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk1ODY5MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjE3NjYzMH0.nZIGhylY9fz6bXGHYtmOG3GiCkiB7-EYOG7SYgXkhJI/img.jpg?width=980" id="b8adf" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="31899818ad650b11098b4b3ad0e3d6f7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."><a href="http://beyondmeat.com/whats-new/view/beyond-meat-unveils-the-missing-link-beyond-sausage" target="_blank">Beyond Meat</a> </small></p><p style=""><strong>And see how juicy and delicious they look when grilled:</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style="">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk1ODY5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTYxNTQ2NX0.4E5xI-yX2z69HARdli2UZ3LHH8bCNJAkVe2RmF5uDno/img.jpg?width=980" id="17604" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="534304ce06322c58045e25d50f54a251" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."><a href="http://beyondmeat.com/whats-new/view/beyond-meat-unveils-the-missing-link-beyond-sausage" target="_blank">Beyond Meat</a> </small></p><p style="">The new vegan sausages are being previewed at Whole Foods' Pearl Street location in Boulder, Colorado. Additional locations that will carry them will be announced in January, so keep your eyes peeled.<br></p><p style="">In the meantime, you can try Beyond Meat's vegan <a href="https://www.peta.org/recipes/vegan-cheese-stuffed-burger-next-cookout/" target="_blank">beef</a> and <a href="https://www.peta.org/recipes/chicken-pot-pie-empanadas-vegan/" target="_blank">chicken</a> products.</p>
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Leonardo DiCaprio / Facebook
Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector, but eating a burger doesn't have to come with a side of guilt.
Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in Beyond Meat, the makers of the world's first vegan burger that's famously known to look, smell and even taste a lot like the real deal.
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<span></span>The company's staple <a href="http://beyondmeat.com/products/view/beyond-burger#" target="_blank">Beyond Burger</a> is made mostly from pea protein. Beet juice gives it a red meat-like color and allows it to "bleed" like a regular beef burger when cooked.
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"Livestock production is a major contributor to carbon emissions," DiCaprio said in his investment announcement. "Shifting from animal meat to the plant-based meats developed by Beyond Meat is one of the most powerful measures someone can take to reduce their impact on our climate."
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"The company's ability to create appealing, healthy meat directly from plants will go a long way in helping everyday consumers take action on climate change," he added.</p><div id="d9c68" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FXUCFU1576662643"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaWgfKGnBHA/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Leonardo DiCaprio on Instagram: “Shifting the protein in your diet from animal meat to the plant-based proteins developed by Beyond Meat is one of the most powerful…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>"I am thrilled to officially welcome Leonardo DiCaprio to the Beyond Meat family," said Ethan Brown, the chief executive of Beyond Meat, in a statement. "His investment and role as an advocate reflects a shared vision that meat made directly from plants, like our Beyond Burger, has enormous benefits for human health, the climate, natural resources, and animal welfare."</p><p>"I look forward to continuing to collaborate as we bring delicious, satiating products to a rapidly increasing consumer base." <br></p><p style=""><span></span>Beyond Meat has grown immensely since its founding in 2009. Its products can now be found in more than <a href="http://beyondmeat.com/store-locator" target="_blank">11,000 stores </a>nationwide, including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Kroger, Safeway, Publix and Sprouts as well as eight BurgerFi's locations and six TGI Fridays, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/review-leonardo-dicaprio-beyond-meat-veggie-plant-burger-2017-10" target="_blank">Business Insider</a> reported.
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Other big-name investors of the Los Angeles-based startup include Bill Gates, Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, the meat company Tyson Foods and the Humane Society. Dicaprio's exact investment amount was not disclosed.
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DiCaprio, and his <a href="http://leonardodicaprio.org/" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation</a>, has long put his philanthropic dollars towards environmental organizations and businesses that protect oceans, land and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a>, as well as operations that work to fight against <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>. The foundation has offered <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/leonardo-dicaprio-foundation-awards-2487597805.html" target="_blank">more than $80 million</a> for such causes since its founding in 1998.
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<span></span>The <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/leonardo-dicaprio-before-the-flood-2057070140.html" target="_blank">Before the Flood</a> filmmaker has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/leonardo-dicaprio-lovethewild-2307586570.html" target="_blank">also invested</a> in sustainable seafood company LoveTheWild and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan">vegan</a> snack company Hippeas.
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Dicaprio's latest investment doesn't just make environmental sense, but a financial one too. The global market for alternative meats such as tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, seitan, quorn and other plant based sources is <a href="https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/press-release/global-meat-substitute-market.html" target="_blank">forecasted</a> to garner $5.2 billion by 2020.
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