You often hear this take from non-vegans. If someone wants to make substitutes, what's the problem? Who cares?

Agreed, meat serves a specific role within traditional dishes. I find well cooked mushrooms to be one of the better substitutes in most sauce based dishes, though it lacks in protein. If we are going full vegan I believe South Indian to be some of the best cuisine in the world.

There is so much flexibility in cooking. I got some beyond meat Jamaican patties this week and I just genuinely wasn’t impressed with the flavor and texture.

I’d argue that bad implementation of substitutes is generally the culprit here. Meshing well with the cuisine is a better move. I’d rather have a curry rice with herbs filled patty.

Anyway I guess my point is that making meat replacement options just taste “OK” isn’t doing a lot of favors.

For some people they need a sufficient meat replacement to be able to give up meat. People with ARFID for example who already have very limited food options and have a preference for meat can find it very difficult to just have vegetarian meals

Many (probably most) vegetarians or vegans didn't start that way, so having the option to have some familiar foods without the meat is nice, beyond stuff for example is not cheap where I live, so it's a treat to have one, but sometimes you just feel like a greasy hamburger that tastes like beef

Because selfish humans love their fucking meat and they don’t care that animals are locked into prisons where they can barely move or clean themselves, generate massive acres of literal shit pools that pollute large areas, the impact that kind of farming has on the environment….

THAT is why there is motivation for replication. Without it how do you shut down these disgusting cow/pig/chicken torture facilities