Pet food is big business.
The global pet food market is predicted to be worth $113bn
by 2025.
But it's not a great business for the planet.
A 2017 study estimated that in the United States,
pet food is responsible for a quarter
of the environmental impacts of meat production in terms
of the use of land, water, fossil fuels, phosphates,
and pesticides.
The US doesn't even have the highest rate of pet ownership,
and developing countries are catching up.
Now though, more meat-free products
for coming onto the market.
American biotech startup Bond Pet Foods
uses fermentation in the lab to produce cultured protein
sources.
It launched its first product in May this year
and in August, announced the creation
of an animal-free chicken meat protein.
Last year, US startup Wild Earth released
a high-protein, meat-free dog food.
Its main ingredient is yeast protein.
So far, the company has raised over $16m in funding.
British company Yora has taken a different approach.
It mixes grubs with oats, potato, vitamins, and minerals,
to make the dry dog pellets it's been selling since early 2019.
But the alternative market is hindered by price.
Vegan dog food can cost far more than meat-based equivalents.
And in the UK, insect-based dog food is up to four times more
expensive than budget brands.
Another challenge stems from the preferences
of the pets themselves.
Dogs are omnivores and can, in theory, survive on a vegan diet
with supplements.
But cats are carnivores and need their meat.
Finally, it's by no means certain
that lab-grown meat would actually be so much better
for the environment.
Recent Oxford University research
found that over the long term, artificial cultured meat
production that needs high-energy inputs
could actually increase global warming more than some types
of cattle farming.
The hunt for food that can be loved in equal measure
by both pets and the planet look set to continue.