Elysabeth Alfano’s Top 10 Predictions for 2021
Every week, Plant-based Business Expert Elysabeth Alfano breaks down the headlines with her review and analysis in the Plantbased Business Minute. In preparation for the New Year, today she brings us her top ten predictions for 2021.
Here are her top ten – um, thirteen – predictions for 2021.
1. Veggies of the Sea. Seafood, seafood, seafood! Plant-based seafood is all the rage. Good Catch, Hooked Foods, The Plant-Based Seafood Company, New Wave Foods, Shiok Meats, Save to Sea. There’s so many of them and people will start to realize that plant-based seafood is to 2021 what plant-based burgers were to 2019.
2. But, Bacon. Finally, vegans have an answer to, “But, what about bacon?” Hooray Foods bacon is on the West Coast of the United States in just a couple of stores, but will grow in 2021, and vegans can finally have their bacon and eat it, too.
3. Plant-based Pork, Please. In fact, all plant-based pork continues to dominate with Omnipork running rampant domination in Asia and brands like Barvecuegoing coast to coast in the U.S.
4. Revamp. Grocery stores revamp their real estate and plant-based foods come out front and center so finally people can find them.
5. You’re Going Down. Plant-based prices come down as distribution goes up and more and more plant-based food manufacturing facilities come on-line.
6. Dairy Sans Animals. Having real dairy without the animal will actually start to come into public conversations. Companies like Change Foods, Those Vegan Cowboys, Perfect Day, Better Dairy, ReMilk, and others are all making real dairy through precision fermentation. By the end of 2021 people will actually know what that means.
7. King Mushroom. 2021 is the year of the mushroom and mushrooms reign supreme. You will see whole food mushroom meats from places like Atlast Foodsand Meati that are steaks and pieces of meat made directly from mushrooms.
8. Frozen Party. Oh, the party is in the frozen food aisle. It will continue to grow and continue to have more vegan food options with brands like Cool Beans and others that are bringing whole food plant-based to the frozen food aisle.
9. WFPB 4 U. Yep! Whole Food Plant-based gets supersized as people want to recognize what they eat and take back their health.
10. No Can Do. Plant-based takes on plastic. Eco-friendly packaging will be a very important priority as people want it all. They don’t just want their food not from animals, but they also want their packaging not to damage the planet.
11. VegTech. My bonus in this year’s top ten predictions is that VegTech becomes an issue of national security as more and more governments actually invest in precision and bio-mass fermentation, plant-based research, and cellular agriculture.
12. That’s Life. Plant-based leathers and materials actually gain traction as people realize that a plant-based lifestyle means more than just food.
13. Work It. Employees demand that companies espouse their values from head to toe as they choose to work with mission-aligned employers.
This has been my Top Ten – or so! – predictions for 2021. If you would like a deeper dive into plant-based business, please subscribe to the Plantbased Business Hour wherever you get your podcasts. And if you are a small plant-based business or a large meat and dairy company and you are looking to navigate the plant-based landscape, please reach out to me on LinkedIn. My team and I at Plant Powered Consulting are here to help you with media, marketing, communications strategy and so much more.
Elysabeth Alfano is the founder of Plant Powered Consulting, host of the Plantbased Business Hour and the Consulting Managing Director, vegconomist, North America.