Innovation

The two main ways this innovation is carried out is firstly through a process called cow-calf dairy. This is where cows are allowed to raise their own calves, selling milk from all cows that have the opportunity to be mothers. Sander Van Stee discussed when interviewed how deep rooted the belief that this way of raising cows cannot be done is within the farming industry, counting this as a monumental success for both himself as an individual as well as for society. This method helps the environment in many ways, including holding the ability to cut greenhouse gas emissions, allowing animals to have considerably better welfare when growing from a calf to a cow, reducing energy use and making the milk taken much higher quality. The second way this innovation is carried out is through crossbreeding dairy cows to beef, resulting in beef-bull cows that are able to be raised as grass-fed beef. This is something that would typically be very costly as a pure-bred, meaning without this cross-breeding innovation this would not be a real profitable possibility. The beef genetics also allow calves to put on meat more efficiently, resulting in this process being ultimately more sustainable both profit wise and for the environment. 

This innovation predominantly links to three SDGs (United nation’s sustainable development goals), with these being: ‘3 - Good Health and Well-being’, ‘12 - Responsible Consumption and Production’, and ‘15 - Life on Land’. This is because the innovation helps consumers responsibly consume meats that have come from animals with prioritized welfare, and consume meats that are of higher quality than what can typically be found in grocery stores, as well as protecting and promoting sustainable use of the land and its ecosystems. 

Inspiration

Owner Sander Van Stee described how he had faced health struggles for six years after becoming ill, finding issues within this time with the quality and standards of meat and dairy products that were available in stores. Conveying how he thought it was necessary to do things better but there was no current option available, he recounted: "if I start Moral Eats I can produce our own food in the way I would have liked to and build up a customer base". 

"It is more relatable to the current industry, it is more relatable to the average farmer - a commercial dairy farm switching over to these ethical practices, that’s more relatable than somebody that completely starts their farm from scratch and does everything perfect."

Van Stee was able to do this through beginning with his own family’s existing commercial farm, stating how although it was tempting to ‘start from scratch’ on a smaller scale and do everything in exactly the methods he would have preferred, it ultimately was going to have a bigger impact done through the transformation of a typical commercial dairy farm on a larger scale. 

He goes on to say "hopefully in the future I can provide that marketplace for other farmers and have them produce under the same standards of treatment", Sander Van Stee describes his hope to expand this work into other farms in order to spread the benefits of higher standards and quality meats to consumers in more areas. 

Overall impact

The short-term effects of this innovation are to the direct customer base that Moral Eats has formed so far, providing high-quality and healthy meat and dairy to consumers that can also reap the benefit of this being ethically sourced. Sander Van Stee describes his customers to be "fairly loyal because what we do is fairly unique," having heard "lots of positive feedback from the customers we do have", with the products provided being unique in that they can sell in bulk, which grocery stores are unable to do as well as selling products that are unable to be found anywhere else such as nose to tail ground beef, achievable through direct selling. 

Other short-term impacts for Moral Eats directly have been the corporation enabling the plantation of 30 acres of pasture that would not have been possible before this came into fruition, as well as raising 10 steers per year in this new method of practice. Van Stee has high ambitions for continuing this impact, however, wanting to plant 200-300 acres of pasture as well as raising up to 100 steers per year instead of 10. 

Long-term impacts of Moral Eats’ innovation can include helping and raising awareness of these new practices to other commercial farms. As it is not particularly common practise to raise livestock in this way in North America, this work is extremely valuable to the welfare of animals if commercial farms are taught how to operate in this way. Sander Van Stee talks of how "the way we are raising the animals, the standards of care and the direction we are trying to go means there is a future impact that we can make on the industry." This suggests the belief that if the industry is able to increase animal welfare through Moral Eats’ suggested methods, this will have a considerable impact within North America in its entirety in terms of aiding the three previously mentioned SDGs, but in particular number 12: responsible consumption and production, on a larger scale. This innovation can also have a long-term impact in terms of helping these commercial farms struggling with the current economic state, as well as the dynamic and fast-changing market prices, helping to provide more profitable solutions to raising and selling meat. 

Business benefit

In terms of profit, the commercial dairy farm that Moral Eats is integrated within still generates the majority of the income. However, Sander Van Stee comments that "the impact it has had by targeting welfare, ethical treatment and higher standards" benefits the business through allowing the business to sell direct to customers because of this; "that’s where the real opportunity is." Typically in agriculture a commodity is sold, something that also fluctuates in price based off what the market dictates at any current time. Whereas through direct selling, Moral Eats is able to explain to consumers the standards at which they produce food, and what it costs to produce it because of this, allowing its own price to be both set and justified. Sander Van Stee relays how as his own price is able to be decided, "we can ensure that from a business perspective, these higher standards are sustainable, so they’re profitable and we can continue doing business this way;" thus allowing Moral Eats’ experimentation and progress within the industry to continue in the long-term. 

This innovation also benefits Moral Eats through opening the door to affiliate programs. Through partnering with individuals or other commercial farms/businesses that receive a percentage of the revenue, Moral Eats is able to take advantage of their existing customer base and following in order to efficiently increase awareness and see growth. Sander Van Stee states "this is where I’ve noticed the most success." 

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Social and environmental benefit

Sander Van Stee confirms that the benefit Moral Eats has to society and the environment can be encapsulated in two ways: "the way food is produced, and the way farmers produce food" as well as "the way consumers can consume food and the choices that they have for food are produced in an ethically conscientious way." Essentially stating how consumers are also benefited; given new options for the purchase of food that is of higher quality that can be attained at most chain stores. Consumers are also given the benefit of knowing they are purchasing products that have no animal cruelty or misbehavior attached, allowing these consumers to relieve any guilt they may have felt prior to purchasing Moral Eats products. 

"I'm really looking to open the eyes of commercial farmers. What they can really learn is that it is possible to raise animals this way, and also that it is a way to profitably continue in business. A commercial farm can switch over and they can still make their payments that they have to make to the bank, they can still provide for their family." 

Moral Eats is prepared for the large-scale impact they have potential to introduce to the industry, giving inspiration to farmers from commercial farms who may have previously held the belief that these methods were impossible. They can now learn from Moral Eats’ discoveries and progress with this experimentation and then begin to do the same, slowly transforming farming into holding animal welfare as a priority. 

Interview

Sander Van Stee, Owner and Founder