How 'Big Meat' lobbies Brussels to keep carnivore status quo

"It's not about banning meat — that's not the point," says Marco Contiero, who works in Brussels on agriculture for Greenpeace, an NGO and leading advocate of more plant-based food.

"But in China, they're building skyscrapers of pigs. It's insane. That's where things are headed, so we need to change direction," he added.

Contiero grew up in Padua, in northern Italy, where meat is a time-honoured part of native cuisine. His favourite recipe is canederli (a kind of meatball) and...