Industrial food and meat alternatives offer a pragmatic path forward

A Financial Times Books Essay reviews two titles—Feed the People! and Meat—that argue not all ultra-processed foods are equal and that the future of feeding a growing population lies in embracing industrial innovation rather than shunning it. The authors praise the democratizing potential of shelf-stable foods (like Huel) while emphasizing the need to reduce meat consumption and pursue affordable meat substitutes, including plant-based ingredients and cultured meat. They warn of environmental and health risks from intensive farming, antibiotic resistance, and regulatory uncertainties, but advocate pragmatic government action to encourage healthier, scalable solutions without moralising. The piece also critiques nostalgic calls for a pre-industrial diet while acknowledging the social costs of current systems, such as poverty wages in the agrifood sector.