Ethical aspects of meat alternative products

Current agriculture focuses on the production of various food products and resources to cater for an ever-growing society. Although in the past only economic objectives have been taken into consideration, today ethical, social and environmental aspects are increasingly gaining importance in the production processes.\r\nSuch aspects are especially relevant in the case of meat, the production of which is responsible for a large amount of the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. Consumers are increasingly aware of this situation, which, contrarily, has not had a major impact on meat demand, although it has undoubtedly contributed to increase the demand of alternative products.\r\nThus, demand of alternative meat products reflects consumers' new concerns and the trends these concerns create such as the consideration of sustainable or organic production meats, meat with a low carbon footprint or meats produced locally.