China 'keen to
encourage foreign investment in meat – and plant-based'
By Andy Coyne
| 31 July 2020
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Beyond Meat's Beyond Burger on sale in China via KFC |
China is said to be keen to encourage
foreign investment in its meat and faux-meat industries, a report from news
agency Reuters has
suggested.
It
said China's state planner – the National Development and Reform
Commission – is seeking outside help to develop its livestock and poultry
breeding programme and to create plant-based meat substitutes.
China
is attempting to deal with meat shortages created by African swine fever which
has resulted in the decimation of its pig herd.
According
to Reuters, China's pig producers have "ramped up imports of
foreign breeding pigs to rebuild a sow herd that had fallen as much as
60%". In the meantime, meat businesses in South America and Europe have
seen a huge increase in exports to China as it seeks to fill the void.
International
food businesses are also moving in to develop and sell plant-based protein
products to the China market as a meat alternative.
At
the start of this month, US plant-based protein company Beyond Meat announced it was about to make its debut on
Chinese supermarket shelves.
The
meat-free burger, sausage and mince products manufacturer is selling its
patties in mainland China through local e-commerce giant Alibaba's Freshippo
supermarkets.
Sales
of its Beyond Burger commenced at 50 stores in Shanghai, with plans to expand
to 48 more stores in Beijing and Hangzhou in September.
In
May, Switzerland-based food giant Nestlé outlined capex plans for China which
included the setting up of its first facility in the country for plant-based
products.
US
agri-food heavyweight Cargill said in April it was looking to expand its plant-based food offering
in China following a successful trial of alternative-meat products there with
fast-food chain KFC.
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