At a time when the global food system is increasingly being questioned for its climate impacts, the Beyond Meat It has once again placed concrete data at the center of the conversation. The Californian company released new environmental results from... Beyond Burger IV, the latest version of its plant-based burger, reinforces something that science has been showing for years... replacing beef with plant-based alternatives can drastically reduce the environmental cost of food.

Launched in early 2024, the fourth generation of the brand's products (Beyond Burger IVThis goes beyond cosmetic adjustments. The reformulation replaces canola and coconut oils with... avocado oil, incorporates broad beans and red lentils as new protein sources and seeks a more refined balance between flavor, nutritional profile and sustainability.

This evolution is not just sensory or nutritional. It is also directly reflected in environmental footprint of product.

What weighs more on the plate and on the planet?

According to the new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), published in Corporate Responsibility Report 2024, Beyond Burger IV It exhibits significant reductions in impact when compared to a conventional 113g (80/20) beef burger produced in the United States.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 88% fewer greenhouse gas emissions

• 92% less water consumption

• 97% less land use

• 28% less use of non-renewable energy

Even when the calculation includes emissions associated with land use changea critical factor in livestock farming, the plant-based burger still generates 86% fewer greenhouse gases than beef..

These data were estimated by independent experts and follow international standards (ISO) for LCA studies, which lends scientific robustness to the results.

Where do the impacts of Beyond Burger IV come from?

Contrary to popular belief, the main source of environmental impact from plant-based burgers is not in the factory, but... in the production of the ingredients.

The production of ingredients accounts for:

• 34,9% of total emissions

• 90% of land use

• 75% of water consumption

Among them, the pea protein stands out as the largest contributor to land use, while avocado oil It leads in water consumption, a well-known consequence of irrigated agriculture for this crop. Even so, these impacts are far less significant than those of the beef industry, which is strongly associated with deforestation, intensive water use, and methane emissions.

O refrigerated transportThe cost of both inputs and final distribution accounts for about 20% of the product's climate impact, while packaging They account for approximately 17% of emissions. This data reinforces an essential point: even processed plant-based foods have an impact, but the scale is incomparable to that of livestock farming.

Climate transparency in difficult times.

The release of the study comes during one of the most challenging periods in history. Beyond MeatThe company is facing declining sales, a slowdown in the plant-based meat market in the United States, and strong stock volatility. Even so, it has chosen to increase transparency.

In 2024 the Beyond Meat published a comprehensive emissions inventory and reported significant reductions:

• -11% in scope 1 emissions (what the company emits directly)

• -12% in scope 2 emissions (what it causes when consuming energy)

• -31% in scope 3 emissions (everything that comes before and after the product in the supply chain)

In the same year, the company carried out its first submission to the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), the largest global database of corporate environmental disclosure.

At the same time, the brand has been diversifying its portfolio, launching products such as a steak made from mycelium (mushroom roots) and repositioning its communication to move away from the idea of ​​"ultra-processed meat," moving closer to simpler formulations and recognizable ingredients, such as the new Beyond Ground made from fava beans, with only four ingredients.

Brazil in the mirror of plant-based protein: what's happening here?

Brazil has one of the highest per capita beef consumption in the world...and this is directly reflected in our... food environmental footprintScientific studies have already shown that the diet of Brazilians who consume the most beef has... water and carbon impacts three to four times greater than that of those who consume less of this food... a clear sign that dietary choices make a concrete ecological difference. 

According to epidemiological research using national data, Reducing the consumption of beef and ultra-processed foods combined could decrease the carbon and water footprint of Brazilian food consumption by more than 20%.A double win for health and the environment. 

The market plant based It's growing in Brazil (but it's still small).

Plant-based alternatives to meat, such as burgers and plant-based "meats," are already gaining popularity among Brazilians.

• 26% of Brazilians in social classes A, B, and C consume plant-based meats at least once a month., and 36% reduced their consumption of red meat in the last 12 months, many for health or cost reasons. 

• According to GFI Brasil (The Good Food Institute Brazil), an organization that monitors the sector plant basedThe national retail sector moved around R$ 1,1 billion in 2023, with growth of more than 38% increase in sales of meat and seafood substitutes. Compared to the previous year, this indicates that consumers are experimenting more with these alternatives. 

Although it still represents a fraction of the total protein market in Brazil, this growth is a clear sign of transition, especially among younger consumers and those concerned about health, the environment, and animal welfare.

Nutrition and quality of plant products

A recent study of Federal University of São Paulo showed that approximately 80% of plant-based meats sold in Brazil have good nutritional quality. According to indicators established by ANVISA... a result that surpasses the performance of products of animal origin in many cases. 

These foods plant based They often stand out for offering more. fibers and more balanced fat ratios than traditional meats. Still, like any ultra-processed product, they should be consumed in moderation as part of an overall diet rich in whole foods.

And what about the environmental impact in Brazil?

There is not yet a series of data on Specific Brazilian LCAs for meat, such as those published by Beyond Meat In the USABut there are robust indicators of The high environmental impact of beef in this country:

→ Livestock farming is responsible for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions.Water consumption and land use related to food in Brazil, especially in the Amazon, where livestock production drives much of the deforestation and conversion of natural biomes. 

The environmental logic observed globally...that plant-based alternatives have much smaller carbon footprints and require less land and water than beef. It's valid here too.even though we don't yet have many complete LCAs done with Brazilian data. International data shows average reductions of up to 90% or more in environmental impact when plant-based proteins replace beef in the diet.. 

What does all this mean for the average Brazilian?

✅ Food choices matter. and reduce beef consumption and incorporate more vegetable proteins It helps reduce not only the environmental impact of your diet, but also risk factors associated with chronic diseases.
✅ The movement plant based It is gaining momentum in Brazil., driven by concerns about health, costs and environmental awareness.
✅ Plant-based products can be nutritious.without negating the importance of a diet rich in minimally processed foods.
✅ Brazil still needs more local studies. to accurately quantify the difference in environmental impact between domestic plant-based products and conventional meats, although the global standard for impact reduction tends to apply here as well.

What does this debate really reveal?

More than promoting a brand, the data from Beyond Burger IV They help to illuminate a larger issue: There is no food without environmental impact.but rather a huge difference between the choices.

Even with processing, refrigerated transport, and plastic packaging, a A plant-based burger requires less land, less water, and emits far fewer greenhouse gases than a beef burger.On a planet burdened by climate, water, and biodiversity crises, this difference ceases to be abstract and becomes ethical, nutritional, and political.

Ultimately, what's at stake is not just the future of a company, but the protein model we choose to place at the center of our plates and the food system.

Sources: 

da Cruz GL, da Costa Louzada ML, Silva JT da, et al. The environmental impact of beef and ultra-processed food consumption in Brazil. Public Health Nutrition. 2024;27(1):e34. 
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023002975

The Good Food Institute Brazil. (2020). The Brazilian consumer and the plant-based market. 
https://gfi.org.br/proteinas-vegetais/

Penna Franca, PA, Duque-Estrada, P., da Fonseca and Sá, BF, van der Goot, AJ, & Pierucci, APTR (2022). Meat substitutes - past, present, and future of products available in Brazil: changes in the nutritional profile. Future Foods, 5, Article 100133. 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2022.100133

Go to: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/12/23/3210134/0/en/Beyond-Meat-Releases-2024-Corporate-Responsibility-Report-and-LCA-Study.html