EP 4: Healthier Meat, Healthier People, Healthier Planet: Belcampo’s Alternative Meat Supply System

The conventional agricultural system, with its focus on efficiency and mass scale, is harmful to animals, the environment, and humans. Belcampo is the only fully vertically integrated meat supply company in the US with a carbon positive impact and fully regenerative processes, and they are a shining example of a business that is moving the needle in healthy and sustainable directions. Anya Fernald, its CEO, joins us today, and her passion for the industry, healthy living, and conscious consumption is palpable. We begin the episode by getting to know Anya and the Belcampo founding story. After spending several years in Italy, where high-quality food is prioritized, Anya realized that the US paradigm was an entirely different one. This prompted her to take matters into her own hands. From there, look at Anya’s ‘radical’ approach to food, which includes nose-to-tail and seasonal eating. We then take a deeper dive into Belcampo’s holistically sustainable approach where Anya sheds light on the cascading benefits of their regenerative practices. Along with this, we also hear about some of the challenges Anya has faced going against the industry norms, positive COVID-related changes that she has noticed both in her business and her personal life, and what it’s like being a woman in the male-dominated meat game. This was an incredible conversation that we learned so much from, and we know you will too. Tune in today!

Want to connect, ask questions for the podcast, or offer feedback? Drop me a note on Instagram @themusclemaven, send me an email at [e-mail], and sign up for my weekly newsletter at ashleighvanhouten.com

Thanks to our show sponsor Ancestral Supplements for providing animal-based superfoods in capsule form: try their grass-fed beef organs or beef liver supplements for 15% off with the code MUSCLEMAVEN at ancestralsupplements.com

Key Points From This Episode:

• Learn more about Anya’s background, her company, Belcampo, and what they do.
• What Anya’s time working and living in Italy taught her about food quality.
• Anya’s return to the US and the different ventures that led to founding Belcampo.
• Why the current consumption paradigm has to shift for the food system to be sustainable.
• What we can learn from our ancestors about seasonal and nose-to-tail eating.
• Find out why the industrial agricultural system produces bad offal.
• Insights into Belcampo’s regenerative approach to agriculture and what it entails.
• Belcampo’s species-specific ethos: Evolutionary diet, natural mothering, and natural mating.
• The biggest challenges Anya has encountered when getting her message out there.
• Why Anya has chosen to steer clear of focusing on her competition.
• How COVID — through the challenges it brings — will teach us all much-needed lessons.
• Some of the positive changes COVID has brought for Belcampo.
• Encouraging shifts around food waste, slowing down, and conscious consumption.
• Belcampo Meat Camps: Why they started, what they are, and their goal.
• What it’s been like as a woman in a male-dominated industry for Anya.

 

Tweetables:

“My heart is in revolutionizing meat and changing the system for the better.” — @anyafernald [0:14:16]

“We make choices every day that support a certain style of meat eating.” — @anyafernald [0:19:29]

“I really do think of Belcampo as an animal wellness company trying to create a system where animals thrive and that’s to the benefit of human wellness and to the benefit of our animals’ quality.” — @anyafernald [0:35:13]

“From my perspective, nothing good comes from reflecting on your competition.” — @anyafernald [0:50:46]

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Anya Fernald on Instagram

Anya Fernald on Twitter

Belcampo Inc

Belcampo Meat Camps

Ancestral Supplements

Ancestral Supplements on Instagram

Ashleigh VanHouten

Ashleigh VanHouten Email

Ashleigh VanHouten on Instagram