Leonardo DiCaprio Asks 37 Million Followers to Ditch Meat for the Planet

Leonardo DiCaprio, an investor in Beyond Meat, has asked his 37 million followers to ditch beef for the planet and replace it with, surprise, Beyond burgers. While we support the calls to action from celebrities who want to help save the planet by eating more plant-based, especially life-long environmental advocates like Sir David Attenborough, who is plant-based himself and conscious of threats to the species he lovingly covers on A Life on the Planet, when DiCaprio does it we hear a tinge of enlightened self-interest.

Still, we hope that his pleas help people make the connection between their food choices and the impact animal agriculture has on the environment, which has been well documented.

DiCaprio publicized his partnership with Beyond Meat on his Twitter, posting a photo that read, “If every person in the US replaced just one beef burger per week with a plant-based Beyond Burger, it would be the equivalent of taking 12 million cars off the road.” The actor teamed up with Beyond in an effort to combat climate change, following his years-long environmental activism. Bill Gates, also an investor in the company, recently made a similar plea to give up beef, specifically, for the sake of the planet. He specified that "rich" nations should buy plant-based alternatvies, perhaps because they can afford a Beyond burger.

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“Every single person can help the planet and reduce climate change with one small choice every week,” DiCaprio wrote on his Twitter. “Join me and Beyond Meat in our mission to rethink the future of food.” The actor consistently speaks out against animal cruelty and environmental damage such as the Amazon rain forest fires, and the recent devastation in Australia. In 2020, DiCaprio called for an end to the wildlife trade and the cessation of big animal industries. He claimed that the wildlife trade contributed to the risk of a pandemic and that attention needed to be drawn towards this issue.

DiCaprio’s investment in Beyond Meat may have fans waiting for his own move to a plant-based diet. The celebrity repeatedly preaches the importance of a plant-based lifestyle and environmental awareness but seems to struggle with the shift himself. Although the star is helping promote these changes consistently, the public anxiously awaits for DiCaprio to take his advocacy a step further and tell fans he has given up animal products, or maybe just his use of private jets.