Artificial meat and the environment

If the technology develops as expected, the significance of artificial meat will largely depend on its acceptance by consumers (Hocquette, 2016; Johnson et al., 2018). Controversies similar to those encountered for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will most probably occur, although the parameters and boundaries differ. Some polls run in the United States indicate a rather negative, or at least suspicious, perception of artificial meat at present. Indeed, 48 % of respondents would not ‘purchase foods that look and taste identical to meat, but are based on ingredients that are produced artificially’, while 33 % would (MSU, 2018). However, another survey shows a strong interest in trying in vitro meat (65 %) but much less in eating it on a regular basis (30 %) (Wilks and Philips, 2017).

Several factors can work against the acceptance of artificial meat, notably its high price, the ‘unnaturalness’ of the product, scepticism about the taste and concerns about the safety of associated production processes (Hocquette, 2016). Today, production costs are simply too high for artificial meat to be affordable. As an order of magnitude, the first hamburger grown by Maastricht University in 2013 cost EUR 250 000. However, production costs are falling and companies such as Mosa Meat expect the production cost of a hamburger to fall below EUR 10 by 2020, which would start making them competitive (Le Monde, 2019). What remains costly in production processes is the use of fetal bovine serum (an animal by-product offering optimal conditions for growth) in the culture medium, which stimulates the growth of stem cells. Finding an alternative is one of the main research topics at present.

If artificial meat were to become mainstream, it could have a number of significant impacts on society and the economy. From a health perspective, in vitro production could offer ways to control the composition of meat and make it healthier (Post, 2012). ‘Animal products are the human diet’s primary source of saturated fat, which is linked to health problems such as heart disease and strokes’ (EPRS, 2018). The fat content of laboratory-grown meat could be set to recommended levels, and unhealthy saturated fat could be replaced with healthier omega-3 fatty acids. Additional healthy ingredients such as vitamins could even be included in the meat (Bhat et al., 2014).

Antibiotics are widely used in livestock to prevent disease, which puts humans at higher risk of infection from antibiotic-resistant microbes (Sachan, 2016). Artificial meat would not be so dependent on the use of antibiotics, as meat would be grown in sterile conditions from the stem cells of healthy animals (i.e. those not being treated with antibiotics). A similar reasoning could apply to the use of hormonal substances for growth promotion, which are sometimes used to raise bigger animals in some non-EU countries (the EU has largely prohibited their use). However, growth hormones could also be used in the culture medium for artificial meat. Adopting stricter control procedures during in vitro production processes, compared with many existing factory farms and abattoirs, could lead to a decrease in zoonotic and food-borne diseases.

Artificial meat production would also lead to better welfare for animals. The need to raise fewer, but very healthy, animals to provide high-quality stem cells would lead farmers to secure better living conditions for their livestock (i.e. larger spaces, fresh air, natural food). These different implications are still very debatable but ‘they address the expectations of today’s society perfectly’ (Hocquette, 2016), which helps to explain the current hype around this technology. As for other emerging technologies, ‘proponents of artificial meat have understood very well the issues and have developed a convincing communication strategy around them’ (Hocquette, 2016).

The wider uptake of artificial meat consumption may also have some negative implications. From a socio-economic perspective, the agricultural sector could be badly affected by reduced employment in livestock farming. This could be particularly detrimental to farmers, and associated households and communities, who would not be able to meet this new demand or to shift their activities towards other form of agricultural production. Chemical and pharmaceutical firms could also be affected financially because of a decreased use of fertilisers and medicines and they might, therefore, resist the change. Another concern relates to the use of animal-based serum during in vitro meat production, as it involves the risk of contamination at a larger scale (Orzechowski, 2014). As for many technologies, rebound effects could be observed. In particular, ‘a perception that cultured meat is healthier than agricultural meat could lead individuals to overconsume fat and protein at the expense of a healthy and balanced diet’ (Mattick et al., 2015). Artificial meat also raises other questions such as ‘do meat alternatives need to resemble meat?’ or ‘is it cannibalism if we eat lab-grown human meat?’ (Forbes, 2019).

Artificial meat production can potentially support the achievement of many social, economic and environmental goals emphasised in the EU’s Seventh Environment Action Programme (e.g. protecting natural capital), the bioeconomy strategy (e.g. slowing down land degradation) and the Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. improving food security), as well as promoting the transition to a low-carbon economy (EU, 2013; UN, 2015; EC, 2018).

However, artificial meat production remains an emerging technology at an early stage of development. At present, ‘the environmental impact of artificial meat is difficult to evaluate because it is based on speculative analyses’ (Hocquette, 2016).

Environmental policymakers should be involved in this technological development process to ensure that future artificial meat production processes are sustainable. This includes the need for more systemic assessments of this technology, based on LCA and monitoring, to mitigate unintended environmental consequences.
If the technology develops well, policies such as the common agricultural policy would be directly affected, necessitating support to farmers as they transition away from livestock farming.