The following article ran as the Editorial in the February issue of Meatingplace magazine.

Whenever I read headlines out of India describing people being jailed — or even killed — for eating meat, I shudder and think how grateful I am for living in a country where I can have my meat and eat it, freely, too. I also can peacefully have my veggies; I just don’t like them very much.

The disharmonious relationship between meat eaters and vegetarians reported from some parts of India is a snapshot of an extreme chasm, one that I’m sure has helped perpetuate its reputation as a vegetarian nation. But Indians, by and large, eat some amount of meat.

Complexities such as its meat-veggie friction will make India a tough nut to crack. But considering that by 2030 India will be home to 1.4 billion people, the potential opportunity for U.S. meat and poultry exporters is enormous. That makes it worth reporting (flip to p. 37) to an industry looking to diversify its portfolio.

The meat-veggie relationship here in the U.S. is — especially when compared to some parts of India — far more harmonious. But it, likewise, is both complex and an opportunity worth exploring. We see that in the context of the meat industry. And we see that within our own publishing company, which also seeks to expand its portfolio.

One of the many things I’ve always admired about the meat industry is its members’ belief in their product, and their devotion to feeding people with it. That passion doesn’t rise to the level of a religious doctrine that might, as in parts of India, cause violence. But it’s easy to understand when we hear from our meat industry readers expressing concerns about the growth of the alt-meat market, and the potential affront to their business.

Naturally, we’ve heard more of those concerns since our company, MTG Media Group, launched Alt-Meat and Alt-Meat News, a print magazine and online newsletter (alt-meat.net) that cover the alternative meats industry.

It would be easy enough to say that the mega millions of dollars that conventional meat giants such as Tyson Foods, Cargill and Maple Leaf Foods have poured into alt-meat — plant-based and cultivated — forced our hand. But it wasn’t as simple as that.

Extensive research — including a demographic combing of our own member database — bore out a demand for this type of information, as well as the absence of a provider of this type of information. It’s a business opportunity, plain and simple, that we couldn’t pass up, particularly in a shrinking publishing world that is squeezing the oxygen out of its inhabitants.

Exploding population growth projected over the next 30 years will require far more than just protein derived from animals. Like the aforementioned meat industry titans, our little publishing company sees an opportunity to get in on the ground floor and grow with the demand for all proteins, including the emulators.

While the conventional industry’s own involvement in the alt-meat arena will require some crossover coverage, we’re determined to maintain Meatingplace and Alt-Meat as separate brands with their own identities. The readerships have some crossover, too, but we’re mindful of the complexities and know there are components of each that just won’t jibe.

Meat is and will be our bread and butter. We’re just adding some greens to the plate for the health of our business. Whether your company makes meat, makes meat alternatives, or makes both, we hope the collective of information helps you succeed in yours.

Where worlds converge

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