Alternative Foods
- Taku :
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How do you like your hamburger?
- Meiling :
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I love it.
It’s tasty.
This is a beef hamburger,/right?
- T :
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Actually,/no.
The meat is plant-based.
It’s made from beans and wheat.
- M :
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I can’t believe it!
- T :
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Do you know/about alternative foods?
Plant-based meat is one of them.
- M :
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Alternative foods?
What are they?
- T :
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They are substitutes/for animal-based foods.
Their taste and texture/are almost the same/as the original foods.
Nowadays,/more and more people/enjoy eating them.
- M :
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Tell me more about the foods.
- T :
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There are many kinds of alternative foods.
For example,/I sometimes see plant-based fish/at a restaurant.
It’s used in a sushi roll/instead of tuna.
- M :
- Really? I’m interested in trying the sushi roll!
- M :
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I did some research/on alternative foods.
I found/they are related to environmental issues.
- T :
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Can you tell me more about that?
- M :
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I learned about meat production.
It consumes a lot of resources.
- T :
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What resources?
- M :
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First,/meat production uses 80%/of the farmland on the earth.
It also uses 30%/of the earth’s fresh water.
Moreover,/it accounts for 14%/of all greenhouse gas emissions.
- T :
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Oh,/I didn’t know that.
That’s not good.
- M :
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Right.
So,/some people try to eat less meat.
Instead,/they use plant-based meat/for a variety of dishes.
This choice greatly reduces the use/of the farmland and water,/and greenhouse gas emissions.
- T :
- I see. It is necessary for us/to take action now.
- M :
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There are two more reasons/behind the popularity of alternative foods.
- T :
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What are they?
- M :
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The first reason is related to animal protection.
Some people choose alternative foods/to protect animals.
They mainly eat vegetables/and don’t eat meat or fish/at all.
Those people are often called “vegans.”
- T :
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I see.
What’s the other reason?
- M :
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It’s global food shortages.
As the world population increases,/we need more food.
- T :
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That’s a big problem to solve.
- M :
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Yes.
Alternative foods are one possible solution.
They will contribute to providing nutritious foods/for people in need.
- T :
- Great! Alternative foods have a lot of potential.