People around the world are increasingly open to trying or adopting diets that exclude meat- such as vegetarian, vegan, flexitarian and pescatarian.. Whether you like it or not, we humans eat more than 350 million tons of meat every single year. That’s not something to blink at. Problem is, such enormous levels of meat consumption are already proving unsustainable given the irreversible damage done to the environment. That’s not all; many vegans argue that meat consumption in and of itself is immoral. And there’s more.
This is where lab-grown meat comes into the picture. You might ask: “What the heck is lab-grown meat?” Well, it’s exactly what the name suggests – meat grown in a lab. Thanks to modern scientific advancements, particularly in the field of genetic engineering, it is actually possible to replicate all kinds of carbon-based tissues. What does this mean? It means that you might soon be able to consume all kinds of delicious meats without supporting the meat industry. In other words, you can have the cake and eat it too.
Now, I understand you might feel a tad hesitant about eating lab-grown meat. This article will introduce lab-grown meat; and maybe, you’ll give it a try.
LAB-GROWN MEAT – HOW IS IT MADE?
Lab-grown meat is produced by artificially multiplying a sample of cells that originally come from actual living organisms. This process is hardly straightforward and requires delicate precision. After all, genetic engineering is in its infancy. Still, well-cultivated artificial meat resembles real meat in both texture and taste quite well, and meat lovers of all stripes sing its praises (OK, well, at the very least they say it’s pretty good).
IT’S VEGAN(-ISH)
One of the biggest reasons why lab-grown meat is a thing in the first place is the fact that it’s supposed to be vegan. So far, though, scientists have not managed to find a way to manufacture authentic meat without having to use at least some animal elements, especially animal fats.
But lab-grown meat is still infinitely more vegan-friendly than your regular cheeseburger. What’s more, it’s just a matter of time before artificial meat becomes a genuine vegan alternative to steaks, burgers, hams, etc.
If your primary concern is the well-being of animals, lab-grown meat may just be the perfect solution. After all, it does seem like a huge portion of the population is simply unwilling to give up on meat in the foreseeable future. So, instead of making people vegan, how about we try making meat vegan?
IT CAN STOP WORLD HUNGER
While here in the developed world we can hardly complain about food scarcity, many people in the global south suffer from acute hunger. In their case, meat is but a rare delicacy.
With sufficient funding, lab-grown meat (or lab-grown food in general) can prove vital in the quest to tackle world hunger. In many ways, the production of artificial meat is less demanding than the production of “traditional” meat. Sadly, one major obstacle is technology, which remains infinitely complex and available to a relatively small group of people. Still, soon it might very well be possible to mass-produce artificial meat as well as other foods at low cost, and this could change the calculus when it comes to world hunger and poverty.
So, even if you personally can’t imagine eating meat produced in a lab, you shouldn’t dismiss the idea altogether. Who knows, it may end up saving millions of lives.
IT IS MORE SUSTAINABLE
Meat production is infamous for its detrimental effect on the environment. In fact, meat factories constitute one of the principal sources of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Surprised?
Fortunately, this only applies to “real” meat. That’s right, lab-grown meat puts significantly less strain on our precious environment than its traditional counterpart. Of course, there is still room for improvement, but that only means that we should pay even more attention to artificial meat and to how it is produced.
Another reason why cultured meat is more sustainable than real meat is that it never runs the risk of consuming a species into extinction. While chickens, cows, and turkeys are unlikely to go extinct anytime soon, some more exotic species might indeed succumb to humanity’s vulturous habits. Take, for example, a Chinese paddlefish that bears the name “Panda of the Yangtze River.” This undeniably handsome creature went extinct a few years ago due to decades of overfishing. With increasing global population comes increased demand and consumption. Such an unfortunate event would have never come to be had lab-grown meat been part of the conversation.
IT’S MORE HEALTHY
You probably know that a carnivore diet is, well, rather unhealthy. But did you know that lab-grown meat can actually be good for you? Since it’s artificial, scientists have the freedom to infuse their produce with whatever they wish. So, they can turn a fattening yet delicious steak into a healthy and equally tasty lab-grown alternative. Think hacking the components and proportions of the nutritional content to favor health as well as personal preference.
This inevitably means that you’ll be able to devour previously unthinkable quantities of meat without worrying about your health. Well, I might be exaggerating a little, but you get the picture.
LOOKING AHEAD…
I gotta be honest, there’s one thing I’ve been keeping from you; lab-grown meat is, as it stands, insanely expensive. The very first lab-grown burger, produced all the way back in 2013, cost roughly $330,000 to make. Of course, a lot of things have changed since then and the cost has decreased substantially. Still, it’s far from affordable, if you know what I mean. Still, what’s for sure is that the technology is changing fast, and it only gets better from here. Imagine ordering your steak on a digital screen in a restaurant, choosing the animal species of your choice, flavor, texture, fat/meat ratio.. Lab-grown meat has some legit potential; that is, if we give it a chance!
