The possibility of future food crises and nutritional deficiencies are a worldwide concern, and many companies in Japan are developing measures to avert such disasters. Companies producing processed meats such as ham and sausage are also producing "soy meat" as an alternative. Soybean meat has been available for a long time, but it was mainly popular among vegetarians. Nowadays, however, more supermarkets are setting up soybean sections in their meat aisles, and consumers are increasingly choosing them. Among the reasons for their popularity are the desire for more environmentally friendly products that do not involve livestock production.