Vegan products are becoming increasingly available in mainstream supermarkets.

Meat alternatives include everything from the typical vegie patty through to plant products created by food scientists that are carefully designed to be near-identical to the animal products they are trying to replace.

"The principle is simple. In order to succeed, plant-based products have to be unapologetically, memorably, and temptingly delicious," Garces writes. "And they have to be as cheap or cheaper than their animal-based counterparts."

Once this has been accomplished, she believes there won't be a need for activists to share photos of animals suffering. And potentially even less need to interrupt traffic in Melbourne.

"Decades of advocacy and fighting, of maneuvering and convincing, and now this: the products will be so irresistible, they'll do the advocacy on their own," she writes.

In other words, supply and demand will largely handle the problem. And on a pure numbers basis this demand will be coming from meat eaters - not from vegans.

The number of vegetarians has risen from almost 10 per cent of the population in 2012 to about 11 per cent in 2016, according to Roy Morgan data, however the big opportunity is the large number of Australians who fall into the "flexitarian" or "reducetarian" category. That is, meat eaters who still want to eat animals but are willing to choose vegetarian meals some of the time for cost, health, environmental and ethical reasons.

These swinging voters of the meat eating world make up anywhere from 30 to 50 per cent of adults depending on the study. It includes those who have decided to opt for Meatless Mondays or who simply reduce portion sizes.

Research from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) in 2018 found the main reasons Australians chose to eat less red meat was due to rising costs since 2013, followed by health. Welfare and environmental concerns are much further down the list. Australia is, however, still the sixth largest per capita consumer of beef globally, MLA said.

Regardless, walk through most major supermarkets and there are already signs that supply is starting to catch on to the demand of a plant-curious public. Entire fridge sections and health aisles that barely existed 10 years ago are now filled with vegan-friendly products.

Independent government science agency, the CSIRO, in an economic analysis of the sector published last week, estimates Australian consumption of "alternative proteins" in 2018 was $2.2 billion, with $1.5 billion in export and $3.1 billion in environmental savings.

This analysis include a wide umbrella of alternatives such as the radical new technology of in-vitro meat, where stem cells taken from animals can be turned into meat products without having to breed and slaughter livestock, and insect-based products and the consumption of foods such as quinoa.

The CSIRO predicted this group of products would be a $2.5 billion export industry by 2030, with $4.1 billion of domestic consumption and $5.4 billion in environmental savings. Regions with large vegetarian populations, such as India where a third of the country eats minimal meat, are considered to have big potential for Australian exporters.

Australian boxed red meat exports reached $4.34 billion in the 12 months to April, according to the MLA.

Another report this month from Deloitte Access Economics commissioned by alternative-meat focused non-profit Food Frontier looked more closely at a specific category within this segment - the plant-based meat sector. Deloitte found this slice of the market alone is currently worth $150 million in retail sales, $30 million in manufacturing and supports 265 jobs.

The modelling estimates the sector could grow to $3 billion in retail sales, $1 billion in manufacturing and create 6000 jobs by 2030, on the mid-tier of three scenarios.

"Our nation already has the intellectual and infrastructure assets to become a plant-protein powerhouse," the report says. "With the right political and economic will, Australia can fulfil its potential to build a globally competitive, multibillion-dollar industry."

This "will" includes business investment and politicians considering grants and tax incentives to help support the sector, particularly in ingredient processing and product manufacturing, as well as progressive labelling rules.

While innovative start-ups and vegan brands are likely to be among those looking for a slice of the pie, traditional meat producers are also starting to take advantage of the opportunity. This includes the world's second biggest meat producer US-based Tyson Foods, which has interests in lab-grown meat start-ups and is a former investor in plant-based brand Beyond Meat. Tyson told investors earlier this year it would be rolling out its own vegan line.

It's not yet clear whether Australian meat producers might consider the same approach.

After pointing out that global food demand in 2050 will be 50 per cent larger than it is today, the Deloitte report says: "Plant-based meats present Australia with a multi-billion dollar opportunity. Will we seize it?"

But the real question might now be: Can we afford not to change what we throw on the barbecue?

Ross Gittins is on leave.

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