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Meat's Future: Lab-Grown or Plant-Based?
31 Jan
Summary
- Global meat consumption rises yearly, defying reduction efforts.
- Alternative proteins must match taste and cost of conventional meat.
- Government support is crucial for scaling cultivated meat technology.
Global meat consumption has risen every year since 1961, making reduction efforts unlikely to succeed. Bruce Friedrich proposes that cultivated and plant-based meats are the only viable replacements for humanity's strong craving for animal protein. For these alternatives to capture the market, they must match the taste and cost of conventional meat.
Friedrich likens alternative proteins to electric vehicles, offering the same experience but improved. He estimates that industrial meat could be fully replaced by 2050 with adequate government investment in research and development. This technological shift is seen as essential for addressing climate change, antibiotic resistance, and global pandemics linked to livestock farming.
