Growth expected in plant-based protein space despite Beyond Meat's January blip

"The future of food"

Despite making deals with several high-profile brands like McDonalds and KFC, Beyond Meat, a company that produces plant-based meats, became the most shorted stock on the US market in the middle of January.

However, despite scepticism from some analysts and traders about the future of the alternative protein industry, fund managers still expect "dramatic growth" in the space, something they flag as vital if we are to achieve net zero.  The Financial Times reported that on 10 January, short sellers accounted for 42% of Beyond Meat's freely traded shares, the highest ratio in the Russell 1000 index, according to data provider S3 Partners. These bets came as data revealed slowing growth of plant-based meat in the UK last year with total revenues for 2021 down 0.5%, according to SPINS.  Smal...