5 Reasons Why Lab-Grown Meat is the Way of the Future

We’ve all had our minds blown over the last year with the introduction of plant-based meat alternatives like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat. But there’s another kind of meat that is making waves behind the scenes in laboratories across the world. What I’m talking about is lab-grown, cultivated meat, where animal products are created in labs without a single animal being slaughtered. It’s absolutely incredible science – meat is created using cells grown inside bioreactors instead of using your typical farming methods. Whilst it’s not technically vegan (it requires animal cells and the final product is actually animal meat), it’s definitely a massive step forward from where we stand today. In short, what it means is that billions of innocent beings will be saved, and the heavy reliance on our resources will be reduced. I for one am incredibly excited about the potential of a safer, more sustainable and kinder food system. Intrigued? I’m not surprised! Here are 5 reasons why I believe that lab-grown meat is the way of the future.

1. No animals will be slaughteredAs a passionate vegan and animal lover, the primary motivations behind my lifestyle choices are my beliefs against animal cruelty. Each year, billions of animals are raised in disgusting conditions for the pure purpose of feeding humans. Lab-grown meat means that no animals are slaughtered in the process. It does, however, come from animal cells which are taken from the animal by a small biopsy under anaesthetic. Whilst this means it is not a vegan product and of course raises questions around ethics and consent, it is a million times better than current practices. Also, cells from 1 cow can be used to make up to 175 million quarter pounders! When you compare this to the 440,000 cows currently required to produce the same amount of meat, this really is a mind-blowing statistic.

2. It has a much lower emissions footprintAnimal agriculture is one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gases, which means the industry is a major cause of the climate change crisis. This is due to a range of factors – the toxic gases released from the bodily processes of a cow and from their manure, the resources needed to transport the products across the country, the water required to grow feed for the livestock – the list goes on. Lab-grown meat requires up to 96% less carbon emissions when compared to conventional farming practices. Growing meat in labs will definitely still require a large amount of energy consumption, however a study from the University of Oxford discovered that if the labs were run by clean energy alternatives, there would be massive benefits to the planet. It makes sense when you think about it!

3. Much less land is needed to produce itEarlier this year when the Amazon fires were raging there was an uproar in the vegan community. It seemed an injustice – every year more and more of the Amazon is being cleared to make way for more agricultural land, yet people seemed to turn a blind eye to that – at least until the fires started. It is clearly a massive issue at hand – alongside the loss of the Amazon is a huge loss of biodiversity and also the loss of the world’s largest carbon absorber. Lab-grown meat is a great way to meet this demand for additional land head on. Because it is created in a lab, scientists guess that the process would require over 95% less land than the current agricultural system requires. Let’s bring back the trees!

4. Lab-grown meat has no hormones or antibioticsThis is a massive bonus. Typical farming practices involve pumping livestock with hormones and antibiotics to encourage growth and prevent the spread of disease. The problem with this is that the hormones and antibiotic toxins are then passed onto humans as the consumer. Studies have shown linkages between these chemicals and cancer, respiratory problems, organ issues and all sorts of long-term, adverse health effects. Another problem with the overuse of antibiotics is that it can lead to the creation of antibiotic resistant superbugs – in fact, a 2019 study showed a 3x increase in the cases of antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria in livestock from 2000 to 2018. It’s a scary statistic, and a case we should be avoiding. By growing meat in clean, lab conditions, the final product is then free from any synthetic hormones and anti-biotics, which means that humans are free of them too.

5. It boosts food security for the futureCovid-19 has scared us in many ways, but one of the most shocking is the ability of our food and essential product supply chains to be disrupted. Alongside the isolation, rising unemployment and various restrictions also came the empty supermarket shelves as all our favourite staples became unavailable. The issue of food security is something that has skyrocketed to the front of my mind amidst the crisis. By creating lab-grown meat centres in local jurisdictions, we will be able to boost self-sufficiency should the situation arise again. It really links back up to the argument that minimal land is required – this means that labs can be situated anywhere, providing more diverse benefits to the community. In addition to increased food security, locally grown lab-meat will also drastically reduce the carbon emissions required to transport livestock and meat across the country.

These 5 reasons are enough to convince me that lab-grown meat is the way of the future. For me personally, I’m still uncertain as to whether I would consume the product - I don’t love the taste of meat, so am not sure if it would make its way onto my plate. But for the billions of meat-eaters in the world, or for those vegetarian eaters that are missing the taste of meat, lab-grown meat provides an incredibly sustainable alternative to conventional farming methods. I absolutely cannot wait to see where the next few years take us.