Until this week, Tyson Foods held a 6.5% stake in plant-based meat producer Beyond Meat. The news that Tyson sold its stake came just ahead of the burger company’s plans to begin selling shares publicly, reaching for a market value of over $1 billion.  What's next for the poultry giant? Tweet at Tyson Foods to keep shifting to plant protein & end cruel rapid growth TODAY!

It is not yet known who Tyson sold its share to, or for how much, but there is plenty of speculation. Theories include that Beyond Meat may have pushed out the poultry giant after it announced that it would be getting into the plant-based market, making the two companies competitors.

Recently Tyson Foods pledged to Compassion Over Killing that vegan news would be coming in a few weeks. Rizal Hamdallah, Head of Tyson’s Innovation Lab, stated, “There will be news coming very soon about how serious we are about doing this. … I think we’re looking at plant protein as the future of protein.”

This news makes us wonder--could the vegan news mean another meat-like, possibly “bleeding” veggie burger on the market? One of Tyson’s major customers, McDonald’s, has been exploring vegan burger options abroad. Maybe it’s time to bring that meatless option stateside.

Consumers are turning to vegan foods to lessen their negative impact on the environment, their health, and animal suffering. It’s clear that Tyson is starting to take notice, but it still remains the largest chicken-killing company in the nation. Despite its foray into the vegan market, Tyson Foods has failed to step up and address egregious cruelty in its supply chain.

It’s time to push Tyson in the right direction and demand it ends its barbaric practice of breeding birds for cruel rapid growth, which causes birds to grow so unnaturally they suffer immensely--and continue expanding its vegan offerings. TAKE ACTION: Send a quick tweet to Tyson TODAY!