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I think lab-grown meat (if it ever becomes economically feasible) is the only thing that can ever put a dent in factory farming.
by NeoBasilisk 9y ago
I think lab-grown meat (if it ever becomes economically feasible) is the only thing that can ever put a dent in factory farming.
- robertwiblin 9y agoWe talk about that a bunch! I agree, though it's possible before that we'll figure out how to combine plant products in ways that make them taste very similar to meat. Impossible Foods is already impressively close.
- craftyguy 9y ago> though it's possible before that we'll figure out how to combine plant products in ways that make them taste very similar to meat I think the major barrier to mass adoption of this will be convincing the masses that they should try it. Too bad it can't be marketed as meat, at least not for long before getting caught.
- jessriedel 9y agoIn principle, it's possible that plant-based meat substitutes could become cheaper than real meat, simply because raw plants are always cheaper per calorie than meat. So the question is whether the conversion from raw plant to meat substitute can be done for cheap enough.
- craftyguy 9y agoActually, I'm thinking of some of my, uh, close-minded relatives who would refuse to eat such a thing out of 'principle.' The only way to convince them would be to trick them for several years.
- robertwiblin 9y agoYes this is a problem, though also serious for 'clean meat'. :) Interestingly, consumers are more likely to try out vegan products if they don't say they're vegan on the front of the package...
- richard___ 9y agoWhat's the nutrition content of the impossible foods burger? The NYT article neglected to discuss that iirc
- robertwiblin 9y agoHi Richard - the nutritional information is listed on their FAQ: https://www.impossiblefoods.com/faq/ https://www.impossiblefoods.com/faq/ They've made it similar to ground beef I think.
- EGreg 9y agoWhy doesn't a billionaire just buy up 95% of all the factory farms and start converting them to free range, while lowering output and raising prices? Why don't we as a society subsidize the cost? Would save a lot of lives from suffering. Whatever argument you make against this can also be made in favor of making more cramped prisons and working human prisoners to the bone. Capitalism is designed to exploit externalities, including animal welfare as well as antibiotic resistance.
- robertwiblin 9y agoCouldn't the old owners just open new factory farms and outcompete the now-free range ones by being cheaper?
- EGreg 9y agoWell can't the same argument be made for cutting costs in prisons and working inmates to the hilt?
- apenwarr 9y agoOf course. That's why you need regulations, not billionaires, in both cases.
- EGreg 9y agoSo can advocates of capitalism admit that it needs to be regulated? How would factory farms have been abolished under anarcho capitalism? How would child labor or sweatshops be abolished? They say that under the NAP there would be no coersion, but clearly there is. They say private ownership of animals will prevent their extinction, like commercial bees. That may be true but what about their welfare?
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- blizkreeg 9y agoI'm all for lab-grown meat but I do question if you'll ever fully satisfy the meat lovers. In my opinion, a better approach would be a hybrid meat/fake meat option which would still make a huge dent in factory farming but appeal to the palates of those who love their cheeseburger. If we can cut down "real" meat consumption by even half, you could in theory make all cows free range.
- civilian 9y agoWhy don't you think that lab-grown meat will satisfy meat lovers? Lab grown meat is still biologically meat.
- blizkreeg 9y agoperhaps it's my ignorance as i haven't tasted it.
- civilian 9y agoOkay. I was wondering if you thought the labelling would turn people off. (America has a lot of random fear-of-science. See: anti-GMOs, anti-vaccine, anti-evolution sentiments.) Or maybe that it would be that people wouldn't actually be able to reocognize what cut of meat it was from, and it would be some kind of uncanny valley problem. Or a kind of macho attitude like "if a pig didn't die, it doesn't count as breakfast". (I've seriously heard a guy say that!) Yeah, if you're only concerned about taste/texture/juiciness, I think that's the easiest concern. lab grown meat is still the same muscle cells. I would bet a lot of money that it's going to taste awesome.
- cies 9y agoOne great thing I foresee with lab grown meat is that the discussion changes. Suppose you can get your labgrowns to be cheaper yet indistinguishable from the meat that was once part of a sentient being. In that world you have to be especially sadistic to still want slaughters variant. Investors seem to notice too. "Why Bill Gates And Richard Branson Invested In 'Clean' Meat" https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2017/08/25/why-bill-gates-richard-branson-clean-meat/#69743dbdaf27 https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2017/08/25/why-bil... "Richard Branson predicts the world will no longer need to kill animals in 30 years" http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/indyventure/memphis-meats-richard-branson-bill-gates-invest-clean-meat-no-animal-slaughter-protein-cargill-a7909751.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/indyventure/memph... By the way, if anyone who reads still consumes dairy: that stuff is undermining your health. Replacements are getting close, and given that the replacements are WAY more healthy it is just not the same story as meat. (Similar, but less convincing, case can be made for eggs) If lab grown meat can "in the future" make a dent in slaughtered meat consumption (can attract "us" away), then plant-based dairy alternatives should be able to do so today. And they do -- https://www.google.nl/search?q=dairy+consumption+is+down https://www.google.nl/search?q=dairy+consumption+is+down -- all over the western world. Their best strategy: sell it to new markets of people that are, unlike those of European decent, much more likely to be lactose intolerant.
- olejorgenb 9y agoIt seems the meat and dairy industry is subsidized by the government. One source[1] quote $38 billion yearly while only $17 million goes to the fruit and vegetable industry (The US). Shifting subsidies to greener and more ethical industries would be a good start. The "fake-meat" improves all the time and if it actually were cheaper (in-store) than the meat option things could start to happen. Typically that's not the case[2]. Probably due to a combination of scale, subsidies, willingness to pay amongst vegans and health concerned customers and store policy (key product might be sold at very low margins/loss to attract customers) Estimates of the external cost caused by the meat industry (health, pollution) is also quite high. Special taxes can be used here, while cutting taxes on better products. [1] https://www.peta.org/living/food/10-things-wish-everyone-knew-meat-dairy-industries/ https://www.peta.org/living/food/10-things-wish-everyone-kne... (admittingly not the most objective source) [2] Based on Norwegian stores