It appears that Aussie-born Sia is getting into the alternative meat trade… and it could make the superstar singer super rich.
Sia recently penned an article for Fortune where she outlined her reasons for investing in US company Bond Pet Foods, which produces food from faux meat.
“As a singer I’ve traveled the world a thousand times over, and I can honestly say that animals are some of the nicest people I’ve met,” she wrote.
“I’ve hugged old-souled pigs with eyes that tell the story of time, I’ve sang to camels who seem to truly understand my greatest fears, and I consider every dog I’ve ever had to be my very best friend.”
It was her dogs that initially led Sia to a vegetarian lifestyle.
“Knowing that cows and chickens could feel and care and empathize, just like my pups, drew me to want to do more to support them,” she penned.
“As a young artist struggling to survive, I vowed that if I ever found success, I would make it my mission to spend the rest of my life trying to help these beautiful creatures when they’re in need—to protect them.”
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Sia has “unapologetically” donated her time, resources and social media reach to animal rights and rescue organisations, including Best Friends and the ASPCA, in her attempt to make good on her younger self’s promise.
She wrote that she was “well aware” of humanity’s “unquestionable” love affair with meat, but shared statistics on animal slaughter and the impacts of meat production on climate change.
“Meat production also contributes more to climate change than the industry we often point to when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, transportation,” she said, citing articles to back up her claims.
“Compounding this reality, the demand for meat and its impacts are expected to accelerate in the years ahead, with consumption projected to increase more than 14% by the end of the decade.”
To this end, she announced her investment in Boulder-based alternative pet food company, Bond Pet Foods.
“Employing similar processes that are used in craft brewing, Bond is fermenting meat protein in yeast—again, without the need to kill an animal—to provide complete, foundational nutrition for our dogs and cats,” she explained.
“The importance of this cannot be understated; if America’s dogs and cats were their own country, their consumption of meat products alone would rank fifth in the world.”
The investment may pay off – CNBC reported just over a year ago that the plant-based meat business was worth $20 billion – expected to rise to $23.2 billion by 2024.
Sia has been mostly MIA since the backlash for her directorial debut, Music – this is the first time the nine-time Grammy winner has publicly spoken in the media since she was quoted in The New York Times profile on Kathy Griffin.