Beyond Meat’s Electric Trucks Will Make the Brand Even More Sustainable
Freight transit accounts for nearly 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and although plant-based food production is significantly more sustainable than animal agriculture, both industries contribute massive carbon emissions. Now, Beyond Meat is teaming up with freight technology company Einride to make its shipping networks and vehicles even more planet-friendly.
Beyond and Einride will work together to develop an electric shipping fleet, drastically reducing the carbon emissions stemming from its plant-based meat production. The partnership will initially introduce five Einride eclectic freight trucks within Beyond’s shipping network. Over the next five years, the two companies will add more eclectic trucks to the company’s shipping fleet, with the aim of improving the sustainability standards of food production and distribution at every level.
“Achieving a sustainable future requires collaboration and cooperation among brands from every industry and we’re thrilled to add Beyond Meat to our growing network of US companies committed to creating a clean and efficient supply chain,” General Manager of North America Einride’s Niklas Reinedahl said in a statement. “Working with Beyond Meat was a natural fit given our aligned efforts to offer actionable products rooted in creating a more sustainable future. By offering our services to help build a more intelligent shipping system for Beyond Meat, we’ll be able to reduce CO2 emissions.”
How Sustainable is Vegan Meat?
Beyond Meat commissioned a peer-reviewed study from the University of Michigan to measure the sustainability of its vegan meat compared to traditional beef products. The review found that Beyond Burger production uses 99 percent less water, 93 percent less land, and 46 percent less energy. By partnering with Einride, the company intends to improve its sustainability measures, especially regarding energy and transportation.
“At Beyond Meat we recognize the importance of not just focusing our sustainability efforts on our products, but incorporating this mindset across our business operations as well,” Director of Environment, Health, Safety at Beyond Meat Christopher Pimentel said in a statement. “We are committed to optimizing the journey our products take to reach consumers’ plates to make it more sustainable, and our partnership with Einride is one of many steps we are taking to make that a reality.”
Eating Plant-Based Can Save the Environment
This year, the United Nation released a report that claims that the climate crisis is here, but there’s still time to curb the negative consequences of greenhouse gas emissions. The third IPCC report claims that the world must cut methane emissions by 33 percent by 2030 to slow climate change and prevent worsening environmental conditions in the future. Cattle is the number one contributor to agricultural-related greenhouse gas emissions, according to UC Davis.
- Methane has 80 times more warming power than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years it reaches the atmosphere.
- Plant-based diets can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 61 percent
- Eating beef one to two times a week for a year contributes six to 30 times more missions than plant alternatives such as tofu.
Oatly’s Electric Trucks
Beyond Meat is not the first major plant-based company to introduce sustainable trucks to its fleet. In 2020, Oatly partnered with Einride to revolutionize its shipping fleet, saving 87 percent of CO2 emissions. This June, the two companies revealed their plans to reach 100 percent sustainable ground transportation by 2029. The new Freight Mobility Platform helped Oatly save 10,500 kg of carbon emissions compared to diesel within a single month.
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The Surprising Reasons these Five Country Singers Went Meat-Free
1. Carrie Underwood Loved Her Family's Farm Animals
Seven-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood has been hailed for her “enormous” vocal range. When it comes to her diet, Underwood’s a fan of breakfast burritos and lots of tofu. She doesn’t shy away from the carbs, either. According to Cheat Sheet, one of her favorite snacks is a toasted English muffin with peanut butter.
2. Blake Shelton Wants to Keep Up With His Older Girlfriend
Singer, songwriter, and “The Voice” coach, Blake Shelton, 43, has been working to stay fit recently with help from his long-time love, Gwen Stefani, who is a vegetarian and told him to get off the meat if he wants to feel fitter and lose some weight. Shelton has been trying to keep up with Stefani's impressive fitness level, according to an interview Stefani gave this fall. The former No Doubt singer and Hollaback girl is a longtime vegetarian, eats a mostly vegan diet, and is super fit-- and at 50, looks younger than her years. A source told Gossipcop, “Gwen’s told him the way to lose it is to stay the hell away from meat and bad carbs.” We're rooting for him!
3. Shania Twain Has the Key to Gorgeous Skin
The best-selling female country music singer in history isn’t buying any expensive steak dinners after a performance. The “Queen of Country Pop” has sold more than 100 million records but says she keeps her meat-free diet simple. She is both vegetarian and eats very little dairy -- though at times has said she does eat eggs.
4. Annette Conlon, Folk Artist with a Passion
Americana singer and songwriter Annette Conlon is also a passionate vegan. She started “The Compassionette Tour,” in an effort to bring compassion, social consciousness, human interaction, and animal issues to a mainstream audience.
5. Johnny Cash, Walked the Vegan Line Late in Life
The Man in Black is synonymous with country music, even nearly two decades after his death (1932-2003), probably in part because of the biopic about his life starring vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix. Ask any die-hard country music fan (or your dad, for that matter) and they will tell you that Johnny Cash was one of the best-selling musicians of all-time. His scores of hits include “I Walk the Line” and "Hurt" "A Boy Named Sue" and dozens of others. Cash himself was believed to have lived meat-free later in life to help combat some health issues. At Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon in Nashville, you can also load up on the meat-free dishes as the restaurant boasts a fully stacked veggie menu that includes greens, sweet potato mash, and fried okra.