Beyond Meat
NASDAQ: BYND50Mixed / Improving0 followersFood & Agriculture·El Segundo, CA, USA·Founded 2009·Public
beyondmeat.comPlant-based meat producer whose products aim to cut the land, water and emissions footprint of animal agriculture while matching the taste of conventional meat.
Greenwashing risk: mediumData confidence: medium
Why it's on ClimateTicker
Beyond Meat's core business model — displacing animal protein with plant-based alternatives — is genuinely climate-positive; LCA data consistently show very large reductions in GHG, land, and water use versus beef. However, the company has no SBTi-validated targets, its LCAs are self-commissioned (even if third-party reviewed), sourcing traceability gaps limit the credibility of supply-chain claims, and a string of financial and labelling controversies undermine governance credibility. Investors should treat the product-level environmental case as solid in direction but the corporate-level climate management as still maturing.
mitigationBeyond Meat manufactures and sells plant-based meat substitutes (burgers, sausages, ground, steak tips) through retail grocery and foodservice channels globally, generating revenue on a per-unit product-sales basis as a NASDAQ-listed public company (BYND).
Commitments & Certifications
CDP: First submission made; score not yet publicly disclosed ↗other: Certified ↗SBTi: Not validated — no targets submitted or approved as of mid-2026 ↗
Published LCA: Lower footprint
Controversy & Greenwashing Watch
medium$39M Trademark Judgment — Dunkin' Ad Dispute
A court issued a $39 million trademark judgment against Beyond Meat in connection with a Dunkin' advertising dispute over the 'Vegadelphia' brand.source ↗
highInvestor Class Action — Asset Impairment Concealment
A 2025–2026 investor class action alleges Beyond Meat misled shareholders about the value of manufacturing assets, which resulted in a $77.4 million writedown and a 23–39% stock drop when finally disclosed.source ↗
mediumProtein Content False Advertising Settlement
Beyond Meat paid $7.5 million in 2025 to settle class action claims that it overstated protein digestibility and quality on product labels for purchases spanning May 2018–August 2024.source ↗
lowLCA Sourcing Traceability Gap
Independent researchers have noted that Beyond Meat's LCAs cannot fully account for the environmental and social impacts of key ingredients due to a lack of supply-chain sourcing traceability.source ↗
lowMultiple Workforce Layoffs and China Exit
Beyond Meat conducted multiple rounds of significant layoffs and shuttered its China manufacturing operations, raising questions about long-term operational and governance stability.source ↗
Community Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!