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When Reality Meats Corporate America
Washington Post columnist Helaine Olen ran an interesting column this week on the falling demand for fake meat that held an interesting tidbit worth exploring. She explained,
Sales of plant-based meats in the United States are down by more than 10 percent from this time last year. The issue is basic: The problems fake meat were meant to solve — from the climate impact of industrial farming to the health impacts of meat — are all too real, but the solution it offers appeals to far fewer consumers than expected.
This disconnect between our elites in corporate America with the needs and wants of the rest of the country is behind so many intensely costly mistakes: the decision to remove elephants from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus because of the influence of animal welfare activists, the Target bathroom debacle, the repudiation of guns on the part of Dick’s Sporting Goods… The list goes on, and these three decisions alone have cost these companies untold wads of cash.
This bending of the knee to the liberal political winds of the day, in conflict with their own bottom line, is inexplicable in a capitalist system. What could the incentive possibly be here for companies if it’s not profit?
I’m curious to hear from Ricochet members why this is, and how companies can so blindly light their profits on fire in exchange for a bit of positive press.
Published in General
I remember the photos from various hurricane events etc, showing grocery stores with shelves empty except for the vegetarian/vegan stuff.
I admit that I do buy the field roast veggie sausage, primarily the apple & sage one.
And I do sometimes purchase the Amy’s black bean enchiladas from the frozen food section.
But I doubt a corporation can survive based on sales from just one customer.