Animals do not represent the only viable food source for humans.
The global implications are less meat in everyone's diet, which is hardly a dire outcome. The majority of humanity is likely capable of subsisting on a completely plant-based diet. (Please note I am not a Vegan or Vegetarian, I'm just pointing out what should be obvious.)
I'm reminded of Asimov's Sci-Fi books where he included the idea of "Yeast vats and algae farms [which] produced basic nutrients, which were then processed with artificial flavors into palatable food."
The global implications are less meat in everyone's diet, which is hardly a dire outcome. The majority of humanity is likely capable of subsisting on a completely plant-based diet. (Please note I am not a Vegan or Vegetarian, I'm just pointing out what should be obvious.)
I'm reminded of Asimov's Sci-Fi books where he included the idea of "Yeast vats and algae farms [which] produced basic nutrients, which were then processed with artificial flavors into palatable food."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trantor