外刊听读 | 植物性肉类会出现在菜单上吗？

More and more people are trying to cut down on meat.

越来越多的人试图减少肉类摄入量。

This might be for health reasons, concern for animal welfare or for environmental reasons:

可能是出于健康原因、对动物福利的关注，也可能是出于环境原因：

vegetable proteins, nuts and seeds all have a significantly lower carbon footprint than meat.

植物蛋白、坚果和种子的碳足迹都明显低于肉类。

Whatever their reason, people's eating habits are changing.

不管是什么原因，人们的饮食习惯都正在改变。

And one of the big winners has been plant-based protein used as a meat substitute,

其中一个最大的赢家是被用作肉类替代品的植物性蛋白质，

which has rapidly become a staple of fast food menus and supermarket ready meals.

它已经迅速成为快餐菜单和超市即食食品的主食。

But appearances can deceive.

但表象可能具有欺骗性。

A worrying number of alternative meat companies have found themselves struggling over the past year, laying off staff and seeing share prices drop.

令人担忧的是，许多替代肉类公司发现自己在过去的一年里举步维艰，裁员，股价下跌。

We are seeing a slowdown in the growth of meat substitutes currently, and this is because recurring purchases are lower than expected.

我们目前看到肉类替代品的增长放缓，这是因为经常性购买量低于预期。

But we do believe that because of innovation in tastes, flavour and textures, the growth will come back.

但我们相信，由于在口味、风味和质地上的创新，我们将会重新迎来增长。

It seems there are a number of barriers that are preventing plant-based meat from becoming truly mainstream,

似乎有许多障碍阻碍了植物性肉类成为真正的主流，

and overcoming these barriers will require many stakeholders to work together.

克服这些障碍将需要许多利益相关者共同努力。

Let's start with the financial community.

让我们从金融行业开始。

Investment in plant-based meat products tripled in 2021.

2021年，对植物性肉类产品的投资增加了两倍。

Like every other sector, banks are committed to reaching net zero by 2050.

与其他所有行业一样，银行承诺到2050年实现净零排放。

But they also need to be profitable.

但他们也需要盈利。

Will they stick with the alternative meat sector if it continues to underperform against the wider market?

如果替代肉类行业的表现继续弱于大盘，银行还会继续投资吗?

Next: the producers.

下一个：生产商。

Are they giving consumers what they want?

他们给了消费者想要的东西吗？

95% of consumers say it is important that plant-based foods have a short, simple list of familiar ingredients.

95%的消费者表示，植物性食品必须有一个简短、简单的熟悉成分清单。

That isn't always what they get.

并不总能如愿。

The products are perceived as over-processed.

消费者认为这些产品被过度加工。

Retailers next.

接下来是零售商。

Could they do more?

他们能做得更多吗？

They often seem to give consumers too much choice.

他们似乎经常给消费者太多的选择。

That's if consumers can even find plant-based products, are they in the meat aisle? Dairy? With the fresh veg?

甚至如果消费者可以找到植物性产品，会出现在肉类货架上吗？还是奶制品？与新鲜蔬菜放在一起？

Every supermarket seems to have its own system.

每家超市似乎都有自己的系统。

Retailers will also need help from our fourth stakeholder: governments.

零售商还需要我们的第四个利益相关者的帮助：政府。

Consumers need good labelling to make good choices.

消费者需要好的标签才能做出好的选择。

Nutriscore offers consumers easy-to-understand colour-coded ratings and Eco-Score marks products from A+ to G, based on their environmental impact.

营养等级标签会根据产品对环境的影响，为消费者提供易于理解的颜色编码评级和生态评分，从A+到G。

But both are currently optional in Europe.

但目前这两项在欧洲都是选择性使用。

If governments made it compulsory, it could help to shift consumers towards plant-based meats.

如果政府强制实施，可能有助于将消费者转向植物性肉类。

Combine these initiatives with higher taxes for meat, reflecting its carbon footprint – and the shift could build momentum.

将这些举措与提高肉类税相结合，反映其碳足迹，这种转变可能会势在必行。

Finally, consumers.

最后是消费者。

You and me.

你和我。

Can we shake off our addiction to meat?

我们能戒掉肉瘾吗?

Under one in ten of us are vegetarians.

我们当中只有不到十分之一的人是素食主义者。

Then there's the cost question.

然后是成本问题。

Are we willing to pay more to help the planet?

我们愿意为帮助地球付出更多吗？

Going forward, we believe consumers and retailers will focus on emissions.

展望未来，我们相信消费者和零售商将关注排放问题。

And it is claimed that many of the plant-based foods have up to 90% lower emissions compared to animal-based foods.

据称，许多植物性食品的排放量比动物性食品低90%。

As we transition towards a future with less meat, all of us will need to play our part.

在我们向少食肉类的未来过渡的过程中，所有人都需要发挥自己的作用。

It won't be easy.

这并不容易。

Livestock farming employs millions of people across the world.

畜牧业为全世界数百万人提供了就业机会。

But there's no question that the environment needs us to eat more plants.

但毫无疑问，环境问题要求我们吃更多的植物。

And that means all of us stepping up to the plate.

这意味着我们所有人都要开始行动起来。

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