Thanksgiving is this week, a time of togetherness and gratitude. Despite often relentless pressures to maximize short-term profits, many companies are embracing this spirit all year round, going against the notion that businesses are just in it for themselves.

As we see a rise in socially responsible businesses founded on principles including inclusion and sustainability, more and more companies are putting money where their values are.

The vegan food sector is no exception - but with the uncertainty of the pandemic, can an industry in its infancy still afford to spend as much time and money on good causes?

For many plant-based companies, the specific ways they give back relate to their inception and their missions.

“We know our food system can't be truly sustainable until it becomes more equitable, and we're working to increase awareness around this topic,” says Jessica Appelgren, vice president of communications at Impossible Foods.

The company is focused, Appelgren says, on making the global food system sustainable by replacing animals in the food chain. And since their product ties in with the company’s mission, doing business also means doing good.

“Through donating meat made from plants, we're able to increase access not just to food – but to healthier food. This allows us to tackle food insecurity but also work towards our goal of attracting meat-eaters to Impossible and helping them get over the ‘plant-based anxiety’ cliff, which is a win for communities and for the planet.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the west early this year, many companies have been forced to make redundancies, rethink long-term plans, and have seen funding opportunities disappear. But within the plant-based sector, many have seen the pandemic as a call to action.

Read the full article about plant-based companies by Brian Kateman at Forbes.