There’s no denying that eating animal flesh is immensely popular. “The protein is the star” is a common refrain about a dish or meal. Indeed, when we describe what’s on our plate, we often begin with the choice of animal being served.

Of course, not all of us eat meat. For many, it’s a matter of religious conviction, but there are a whole host of other reasons to choose a vegetarian or vegan diet, including animal welfare and environmental costs. Factory farming that prioritizes profits and production far over critter well-being results in imagery so horrific that “ag-gag” laws are in place in some states to stop people from seeing how the sausage literally gets made. These prohibitions seem more for the benefit of the meat industry than simply shielding our delicate sensibilities. A loss in appetite is a loss in profit, after all.

Raising livestock for human consumption is also environmentally messy. Compared to plant protein, animal protein requires more water and acreage and produces more pollution per gram.