Growing cultured meat as an alternative protein source will impact livestock farming, threatening some sectors and causing disruption to others, but will likely create opportunities for some farm businesses too.
A recent webinar hosted by Abi Kay from Farmers Weekly shared the findings from a research project which explored farmers’ thoughts about cultured meat, led by the Royal Agricultural University.
What is cultured meat?
Speaking in the webinar, Professor Marianne Ellis from University of Bath shared that cultured meat is one of the products from cellular agriculture.
She explained that cellular agriculture is a collection of technologies which use alternative methods to produce consumables traditionally produced in livestock-based agriculture systems.
Examples of cellular agriculture include:
- Using yeast in precision fermentation to make oils and fats, which can be used as palm oil substitutes
- Using mycelium, which is effectively the root structure for fungi, to make an alternative protein. For example, this is how Quorn is made
- Growing muscle cells, which are referred to as cultured meat, lab-grown meat or cultivated meat
In its basic form, cultured meat is a protein ingredient made up of muscle cells only. A longer-term goal is to grow ‘full cut’ cultured meat, with the complex structure that results from combining the different cells which occur in ‘natural’ muscle, such as nerves, blood cells and connective tissue.
How is cultured meat grown?
Cultured meat is grown by taking biopsies from recently killed animals in the food chain – to provide stem cells, from which the muscle cells can grow. A cell culture media also needs to be added to supply nutrients for the growth of the muscle cells, this is essentially a broth containing the required nutrients. The process takes three to four weeks.
Is cultured meat needed?
From a food security perspective, cultured meat offers a way to diversify protein production to help meet the global population’s nutritional needs.
Currently 790 million people do not have access to enough food. The global human population stands at about 7.7 billion and is forecast to grow to 9.8 billion by 2050. The additional protein required to feed the extra 2.1 billion people, at an average of 50 to 80g per person per day, amounts to an extra 105 to 168 million tonnes of protein per year.
However, as raised by some farmers in the discussion groups during the research process, and by speaker Evan Roberts during the webinar, food waste is a significant global problem, and much of the shortfall in food could be met by resolving the issues which lead to food wastage.
What opportunities does cultured meat offer to farmers?
Putting aside the uncertainties around how well it will resolve food security issues, the farmers in the focus groups informing the research identified some potential opportunities that cultured meat offers to UK farmers.
- The opportunity to supply the raw materials for cultivated meat. At the moment, raw materials are being purchased from research companies, but if/when cultured meat is approved for sale in the UK there will be opportunities for UK farmers to supply both the food grade stem cells from traditionally reared livestock and the raw materials for the nutrient broth mixture, which could be waste materials from local farms
- The introduction of cultured meat products to supermarkets could lead to a strengthened USP for grass-fed livestock and on-farm production of meat
- The idea that cultured meat could be produced on farms was discussed and not completely ruled out, although mostly deemed unlikely
- It was recognised that there is a need for gamechangers and disruption in UK farming, to spark the innovations and solutions to effectively respond to global challenges like climate change. Cultured meat could be a game changing technology
What threats does cultured meat pose to farming in the UK?
Several threats and concerns were raised in the discussions which informed the research. These included:
- Impacts on specific sectors - cultured meat could displace demand for the chicken going into chicken nuggets or the beef from dairy cull cows used to make burgers
- Disruption to carcase balance - livestock don’t just produce meat, many food and cosmetics products are reliant on co-products from livestock. Reducing livestock numbers could rebalance the value of co-products
- Possible undercuts to animal welfare - if cultured meat production develops to the point where it is cheaper to produce than farm reared meat, it is possible that animal welfare could be compromised
- Negative impact on rural economy – there are areas of the UK where farmed livestock contribute to creating a sense of place, which attracts tourism. If livestock were to be removed from these areas and the landscape changed, the local rural economy would likely be affected
- Consolidation of power in food supply chain – growing cultured meat will likely put protein production into the hands of a smaller number of companies who own the technology, shifting the balance of power in the food system
- Nutrition and health – although protein content of cultured meat has been shown to be the same as meat from animals, other micronutrients such as ‘B’ vitamins will need to be added into the product. There were concerns around nutrient equivalence and also whether cultured meat will contribute to increased consumption of highly processed food products, which could be detrimental to human health
- Disconnection from food – there were concerns around the impact of cultured meat on consumers’ understanding and connection with the food they eat. One farmer described cultured meat as ‘the perfect vehicle for further disconnection from food’
Which farms will be most affected by cultured meat in the UK?
The research so far has identified eight farm profiles that are most likely to be affected by cultured meat – both positively and negatively. These are:
- Large-scale pig/poultry
- Conventional beef/lamb
- Pasture-fed/organic livestock
- Rare breed livestock
- Dairy
- Fruit/vegetables
- Arable
- On-farm food processing/brewing
If your farm fits one of the profiles you may be eligible to participate in the next phase of the research, to explore how you would run your farm in a world with cultured meat. The findings could provide valuable business insights and you will be recompensated for your time. To learn more, watch the full webinar here.
