Hey, Ma…what’s for dinner?

“Cultured meat is a technical revolution, but it is also a possible economic and societal revolution, with the potential to disrupt the traditional meat sector. Given that animal agriculture uses more than three-quarters of the world’s agricultural land , cultured meat can readily reshape the world as we know it. It can address several environmental issues, such as air, soil and water pollution posed by traditional agriculture. It can also drastically reduce the risks of emerging infectious diseases, which are principally associated with the storage, production and consumption of animal food . Since cultured meat can be produced indoors during unfavorable external conditions, such as natural disasters, it may lower global food insecurity. And since it is produced under sterile conditions, it can virtually eliminate contamination with disease-causing pathogens. Further, cultured meat does not rely on the exploitation and slaughter of animals, and thus has strong moral implications.”

Treich N. Cultured Meat: Promises and Challenges. Environ Resour Econ (Dordr). 2021;79(1):33-61. doi: 10.1007/s10640-021-00551-3. Epub 2021 Mar 19. PMID: 33758465; PMCID: PMC7977488.