Bill Gates, in a recent interview with Technology Review, discussed his new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,” emphasizing the benefits rich nations could produce by moving to “100 percent synthetic beef” to reduce methane emissions in food production.
Gates said that getting rid of cattle is an unpopular approach, but plant-based products are worth a shift for “middle-income-and-above countries.”
Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said in a statement 2 percent of methane emissions come from beef production in the U.S., and sectors such as energy production or transportation produce a combined 54 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Gates chooses to focus on beef production because, in truth, he is heavily invested in the same fake meat companies he’s promoting,” Woodall said. “So, it’s not surprising he continues to push an agenda that would replace real beef with protein alternatives in ‘rich countries.’”
