The Guardian tells us that if more people ate microbial protein then the forests would be saved. Well, that’s nice, we’re generally in favour of forests, the climate, the environment and all that:

Replacing 20% of the world’s beef consumption with microbial protein, such as Quorn, could halve the destruction of the planet’s forests over the next three decades, according to the latest analysis.

The move would also halve emissions from the global food system, by reducing the razing of trees and the methane emissions from livestock. Previous studies have found meat alternatives have lower environmental footprints but this latest analysis is the first to assess what impact that could have in the world.

Go make it, put it on the shelves and see who eats it. Some will enjoy that flavour and difference. Others will preferentially partake to do their bit for those forests and the environment. Some other group will still insist upon bovine provenance.

The end result will be that mixture of what people desire to do. All of which is entirely as it should be. Our aim, task, in having an economy is that more people get to do more of what those people desire to do - this is also known as them getting richer.

Making proteins from yeasts and making them available is, by that very increase in choice and matching to desires, making people richer. Good, we approve.

The only insistence we have is that the consuming, or not consuming of, must be voluntary. It is the choice itself which is that increase in wealth. But then of course that doesn’t really need to be said, does it, for no one at all is stupid enough to try and make this sort of change mandatory, are they?