There are 3 primary reasons for going vegan:

• Reduce harm to the environment
• Reduce the suffering of sentient beings
• Improve one’s health through better diet

The Impossible Burger is a satisfactory solution in the first two cases, but it doesn’t have a monopoly, and a protein source that doesn’t use gmo ingredients is likely to be more environmentally friendly.

In the case of health, the advantage is more complicated. You can be vegan and reduce sodium intake. The frankenfoodness of the IB results from its goal of simulating meat. But that’s only a benefit to carnivores. And apparently many carnivores are using the IB to become flexitarians — with some benefits for the environment and animals, but fewer benefits than if consumers went totally vegan.

And many vegans don’t want food that’s indistinguishable from meat. How about vegan lamb? Vegan veal? Vegan roast suckling pig ? I like the fact that the Beyond Burger doesn’t bleed.

The Impossible Burger is a stopgap solution for three long-term problems. I wouldn’t go long on their stock.