While a recent ransomware attack on JBS Foods, one of the world’s largest beef and pork companies, may result in a short-term meat shortage in North America and Australia, it is an extra opportunity for plant-based options to become more mainstream.
With so many delicious plant-based foods becoming increasingly accessible to people worldwide, the need and desire for meat may be on its way out. Through increased awareness, backed by scientific studies, more and more people are quickly realizing that it is neither humane nor healthy to consume animals, and that the wave of the future is plant-based.
Image from Vivera, Facebook page
According to the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, the cyberattack temporarily shutdown beef plants located in Nebraska, Texas, Colorado, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
WAN’s research revealed that JBS Foods itself is already moving towards investing in plant-based alternatives to meat products. The meat conglomerate is now partnering with various plant-based brands as the vegan sector continues to explode.
Most recently, JBS SA announced plans in April to acquire Vivera, which is currently one of the largest independent plant-based companies in Europe. It develops and produces a broad range of innovative plant-based meat replacement products for major retailers in over 25 countries across Europe, with significant market shares in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
