Overview

• A comprehensive study by Oxford University compared 24 meat and dairy alternatives on health, environmental, and cost metrics.
• Unprocessed legumes like beans, peas, and soybeans ranked highest across all categories, offering significant health benefits and reduced environmental impact.
• Processed substitutes such as veggie burgers, plant milks, and lab-grown meat were less sustainable but still outperformed animal-based products.
• Replacing all meat and dairy with alternatives in high-income countries could cut early deaths by up to 6% and reduce environmental impacts by over 50%.
• Lab-grown meat was deemed the least favorable option due to high emissions, costs, and health concerns at current production levels.