Demand changes meat as changing meat reshapes demand: The great meat revolution

Abstract

As consumer acceptance and overall demand for the different types of meat are important determinants of the new balance between conventional and alternative meats, our goal was to approach the changes in meat demand, as affected by the increasingly available alternative meats coupled to the challenges of conventional meat including the meat paradox, with emphasis on the Brazilian scenario. Then, some aspects of the demand for alternative meats are presented, with a brief historical background. As the decisions taken in the present shape this unprecedented revolution in the way we produce and choose whether to eat meat and, if so, which one, the details of the transition to alternative meat chains in Brazil are yet to be written. It seems even more difficult to predict which food protein items will be in higher demand in the next decades, as new products will likely present themselves for their quality as food items as well as for their ethical and environmental attributes.