A group of animal lovers gathered outside the Guangdong government’s office in Beijing yesterday, displaying banners in protest against the Chinese cat meat industry and calling for the ‘cruel slaughter’ of cats for food to be stopped.
According to the protesters, every week thousands of cats are caught by traders and transported to the Guangdong province to be slaughtered for food.
Animal protection groups have in the past ambushed trucks packed with cages filled with cats headed for Guangdong. In one recent incident, hundreds of cats escaped after their cages were opened, though hundreds more remained trapped.
In China, cat meat is thought to be very nutritious, and it is also quite cheap, selling for around $1.30 a pound.
A popular soup called ‘Dragon, Tiger and Phoenix,’ is made by cooking snake, cat and chicken together.
Pet Lover Protests
Chinese Demonstrate Against Cat Meat Industry
Trend Themes
1. Animal Rights Activism - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create innovative plant-based alternatives to cat meat to address the demand for nutritious and affordable food without animal cruelty.
2. Ethical Sourcing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop traceability solutions and certification programs to ensure that cat meat and other animal products are sourced from ethical and sustainable practices.
3. Alternative Protein Sources - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Invest in research and development of alternative protein sources that can replace animal meat in traditional dishes like the Dragon, Tiger and Phoenix soup.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Transform the traditional cat meat industry by introducing plant-based options that cater to the growing demand for ethical and sustainable food choices.
2. Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Support the ethical sourcing trend by leveraging blockchain and other technologies to create transparent supply chains for animal products.
3. Environmental Conservation - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Encourage the development of sustainable protein sources to reduce the environmental impact of traditional meat production and consumption.