- [Announcer] This week,
Trader Joe's and Walmart
sell Impossible Burgers for cheap.
Senators Booker and Warren
take on factory farming.
And a vegan wins the New
York State Senate primary.
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Vegetarian Bollywood couple,
Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh
are launching a new vegan brand in India
called Imagine Meats.
The acting duo teamed up
with the Good Food
Institute India, a nonprofit
that promotes plant-based
alternatives to animal products
and Archer Daniels Midland,
a global ingredients manufacturer.
According to Riteish, while
he occasionally craves
the taste and texture of meat,
he is able to satisfy that craving
with plant-based alternatives.
He told The Economic Times,
"With plant-based meats around,
I'm a much happier vegetarian."
Genelia says Imagine Meats is for people
who enjoy the taste of
meat, but don't want
the negative environmental
and health consequences
of consuming animal products.
Senator Cory Booker has introduced a bill
that will protect factory farm workers
from unpredictable
high-speed catastrophes.
The bill is cosponsored by
senators Elizabeth Warren,
and a number of other senators,
including Dianne Feinstein,
Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders.
If passed, the safe line
speeds during COVID-19 act
will prohibit meat processing plants
and slaughterhouse workers
from operating at high speeds.
Booker revealed that since mid-March,
coronavirus outbreaks have surged
in meat packing plants across the country.
Tens of thousands of workers
have contracted the virus,
more than 168 have died as a result.
- [Announcer] Even as the slow march
toward normal progresses,
there are new fears over
meatpacking facilities,
where workers continue to get sick.
- [Announcer] He said in a press release,
"The majority of these workers
are from immigrant communities
and communities of color.
The USDA should be in the business
of prioritizing worker and
consumer safety over the profits
of large multinational
meatpacking corporations,
not the other way around."
- And I feel a sense of anger
where we are in the
United States of America,
where we have not had direct conversations
all about a lot of the root
causes of the inequities
and the pain and the hurt
manifested in economic disparities,
manifested in health disparities,
manifested in a criminal justice system,
that is indeed a form of new Jim Crow.
- [Announcer] Coming up, Nando's commits
to adding more vegan options
to combat climate change.
Jabari Brisport, a democratic socialist,
social justice activist and
vegan, has declared victory
in Brooklyn's 25th Senate
District Democratic primary.
(crowd applauding)
- My name is Jabari Brisport,
I'm a public school teacher,
a proud union member,
and a proud Brooklynite.
And I will be your next state senator.
(crowd cheering)
- [Announcer] The politician
defeated Assemblymember, Tremaine Wright
by more than 10,000 votes.
The 32-year-old Brooklyn native
is expected to make history
as the first openly gay black
member of the state senate.
Brisport's progressive platform
champions animal rights.
It includes a ban on the
sale of new fur apparel,
an end to dairy subsidies,
restricting the sale of cats, dogs
and rabbits in pet stores,
and a ban on wildlife killing contests
and traveling rodeos.
- With this critical
mass, we currently have
of vegetarians, vegans in the city council
is that you've enough politicians
who have their heart in the right place
and then they're all
together in one space,
and that's really where the
magic can start to happen.
And I think that's how you get it,
when you get this critical mass,
that's how you get
Corey Johnson's firm on,
that's how you get council member
Carlina Rivera's fur bra band.
- [Announcer] He's also an
advocate for human rights.
Brisport said in a statement,
"This victory is about the
movement to build a New York
that works for the working class
and for people of color."
- Together, we can build a New York
that puts people over profits.
- [Announcer] Trader Joe's and Walmart
now sell Impossible Burgers.
- Now the move marks a 50x expansion
of Impossible's retail footprint in the US
in fewer than six months, that's important
because grocery sales
of all protein products
have just skyrocketed during the pandemic,
Nelson reporting sales of
fresh meat alternatives
are up more than 140% since March.
- [Announcer] The plant-based patties,
which are made from soy and potato protein
hit all 503 Trader Joe's,
and nearly 1,200 Walmart
stores across the country.
- 90% of the earth's population
lives within a mile of a Walmart store,
biggest meat seller, biggest
seller of meat in the US,
so it's exactly the
kind of partner we want.
- [Announcer] The launches
are an important part
of achieving one of
Impossible Foods' main goals,
making its product both
accessible and affordable.
Previously, Impossible Foods' meat
was available for around $12 per pound.
With the launch at Walmart,
the price point sits around $8 per pound.
As it continues to scale
up, the company says
its longterm aim is to
sell the Impossible Burger
at or below the price of
commodity ground beef.
In an effort to help
combat climate change,
Peri-Peri Chicken
restaurant chain, Nando's,
says it will add more plant-based
offerings to its menu.
The announcement is part
of the change's new
sustainability commitments.
The company aims to improve
its environmental standards
across Ireland and the UK.
Nando's, which has already reduced
its carbon footprint by 40% since 2015,
plans to further reduce
its carbon emissions
per meal by 50% by 2030.
It also aims to achieve
absolute zero direct emissions
in lieu of carbon offsetting.
Colin Hill, Nando's CEO
for the UK and Ireland
said in a press release,
"Over the last four years,
our sustainability initiatives
have significantly reduced
our carbon footprint.
But we're launching
ambitious new commitments,
which will set a strong example
for what our industry can do
to make a genuine difference."
Coming up, Higher Steaks just produced
the first lab-grown bacon.
London's Enfield Council
is also working to avert
the climate crisis.
The council banned meat
as part of its 2020 climate action plan.
Starting in December,
when the ban takes effect,
the council will no longer serve meat
at any of its events.
All of the councils events
where catering is provided
will only serve vegan
or vegetarian options.
Enfield counselor, Ian
Barnes said in the document,
"Our planet is facing
an existential threat
from climate change."
In response to rising awareness
and justified protest,
Enfield council has declared
a climate emergency.
UK startup, Higher Steaks,
has produced the first ever
cultivated lab-grown bacon.
Last week, the Cambridge-based company
announced the world's first prototype
of lab-grown bacon rashers and pork belly.
- Today I'm going to be tasting
the first ever cultivated meat sandwich
made by Higher Steaks.
- The slaughter-free meat products
combine cultivated animal
cells with plant-based meat
for a sustainable alternative
to traditional pork.
The pork belly is approximately
50% cultivated meat
to 50% plant-based,
while the bacon is around
70% cultivated meat
to 30% plant based.
Higher Steaks CEO, Benjamina
Bollag, said in a statement,
"The production of the
first ever cultivated bacon
and pork belly is proof
that new techniques
can help meet the overwhelming demand
for pork products globally."
Cultured meat requires the
in vitro cultivation of cells
collected from a living animal.
Lab-grown meat is not technically vegan,
as it is produced using animal tissue,
but for the growing
flexitarian demographic,
and in light of pressing
global environmental
and health concerns,
lab-grown meat provides a low impact,
sustainable alternative
to animal agriculture.
Bollag explained, "Our
mission is to provide meat
that is healthy and sustainable
without the consumer making
any sacrifices on taste."
That's it for today.
Have you tried the Impossible Burger yet?
Have you spotted it at
Walmart or Trader Joe's?
Let us know in the comments below.
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week for LiveKindly news.
(gentle music)
