Beyond Meat’s strategic global agreements with McDonald’s and Yum! Brands are the “clearest sign yet that the future of meat will be plant-based”
The Good Food Institute executive director and food industry expert Bruce Friedrich says the deals bring plant-based meats a giant step closer to becoming the default choice.
February 26, 2021 – “With these two deals, the world’s largest restaurant chains are placing plant-based meat directly on the plates of millions of customers around the world. McDonald’s and Yum Brands have doubled down on plant-based meat and have demonstrated the long-term potential they see in the category. This is the clearest sign yet that the future of meat will be plant-based,” said The Good Food Institute Executive Director Bruce Friedrich.
“With more restaurants and revenue than any other food chains on the planet, McDonald’s and Yum Brands will bring plant-based meat onto the mainstream menus of millions of people. When these restaurant chains move, the entire food industry takes notice. These agreements will reverberate throughout the global supply chain and send a strong signal for the future of plant-based meat in restaurants,” said Friedrich.
“The adoption of plant-based meat is gaining traction worldwide and offers the prospect of producing meat in ways that reduce our impact on the planet. Given that global demand for meat is projected to increase significantly by 2050, there is no question that bolstering global protein supplies with plant-based meat will be key to feeding a growing population,” he said.
“Progress happens when the more sustainable choice is the default choice. This agreement between Beyond Meat, McDonald’s, and Yum Brands gets plant-based meats a giant step closer to becoming standard fare and the default choice.”
Media inquiries: Maia Keerie at The Good Food Institute on media@gfi.org
The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals.