CULTURED MEAT – Invention, Risk, & solutions

The rise in global consumption of meat is caused by the increase in population and consumption per capita. The production of meat has doubled in the past 30 years (1988 to 2018) and is expected to grow exponentially. By 2050, global meat consumption is projected to reach between 460 million and 570 million tons. If consumption continues to grow at this rate, by 2050, when the global population will be nearly 10 billion, there is a distinct possibility that the population will surpass the current food production capacity. The traditional methods used to produce meat by farming animals are environmentally unsustainable as it uses more energy, water, and land. Additionally, meat production is a large source of greenhouse gas emissions and as a result, plays a major role in climate change.

To address these issues and to create a sustainable, tasty, and healthy alternative to traditionally farmed meat, cultured meat or seafood – grown using in-vitro cell cultures of animal cells, rather than farm-grown – offers that alternative to conventional animal protein.

Cultured meat also referred to as lab-grown, clean, and cell-based meat was introduced in the early 2000s and has gone from strength to strength. While most efforts in the space focus on common meats such as pork, beef, and chicken, some companies have focused on high-end or exotic meats including Elk, Lamb, Bison, and the prized Wagyu strain of beef. However, meat is not the only target for these innovative companies as some are working on grouper, Salmon, other fish species, and seafood.