Cultured Meat: A Sustainable Evolution in Food, But Will We Eat It?

By Jacob Nachman – Sustainability Reports Research Analyst Intern – G&A Institute

Consumers, while accustomed to the typical ebb and flow of supermarket staple prices, may have noticed a surge in the price of beef during their recent trips to the grocery store. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has documented a 7.6% increase in beef and veal prices between March 2023 and March 2024. This stark rise serves as an indicator of broader problems encompassing resource depletion, outdated supply chain practices, and possibly a declining ability for current food systems to nourish a growing global population.

However, advancements in food technology offer the potential to reduce our dependence on livestock and conventional farming methods, paving the way for a more sustainable food system.

Livestock farming is a pillar within our food system, yet its reliance on antiquated techniques poses a vulnerability. The industry grapples with the challenge of sustaining an inherently unsustainable food source to meet the demands of a burgeoning global population.

Livestock production accounts for nearly 60% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food production and an exorbitant consumption of natural resources—be it food, water, or land.

Every year 8.8 million hectares of rainforest vanish to develop land for livestock farming, a landmass greater than the arable area the size of the nation of Morocco.

Paradoxically, cattle supply has dropped to its lowest level since 1951, for which the industry blames droughts, high food costs, and labor shortages. Against this backdrop of resource depletion stands a global population that is anticipated to exceed 9.5 billion by 2050 according to the United Nations.

The confluence of dwindling resources and livestock with our flourishing population casts doubt on our ability to nourish the masses. Considering this, adjustments in our food systems are critical to prevent impending food security crises.

The carbon offset company 8 Billion Trees provides a calculator for estimating the emissions associated with an individual’s meat consumption.

Despite meat’s outsized effects on our natural resources, 86% of individual diets across 21 major countries include meat consumption. In response to this challenge, scientists have worked to make “meat” more sustainable for the environment and as a food system. If animal-based meat is in short supply, perhaps plant-based meat can fill a need. Plant-based meat generates nearly 90% fewer GHG emissions compared to traditional methods, and pioneering companies like Beyond Meat have propelled it into a US$4.4 billion industry.

Plant-based meat substitutes aside, technological improvements have also allowed scientists to explore the possibility of developing animal meat in a manner that requires significantly fewer natural resources and addresses the shortage issues faced by the cattle industry.

In 2013, Mark Post, a Dutch pharmacologist and professor at Maastricht University, unveiled the world’s first lab-grown burger. Termed later as “cultured meat”, lab-grown products are made by drawing blood from a real animal, cultivating its cells in lab tanks, and allowing them to duplicate before forming them into the desired shape for commercial sales, such as a burger or steak. Cultured meat’s proponents consider it a promising ameliorative to climate and societal issues associated with traditional cattle farming.

In theory, cultured meat seems to be a viable solution to the agriculture crisis. By optimizing land use efficiency by up to 300% for poultry and up to an astounding 4000% for beef, cultured meat would significantly reduce our reliance on farm land, of which 77% globally is currently dedicated to livestock.

Raising fewer cows could be crucial to lessening our collective demand on natural resources. According to the University of California, Berkeley, this technique could slash agricultural water usage by 82%-to-96%, GHG emissions by 78%-to-96%, and land use by an incredible 99% on a pound-for-pound basis.

Consumers also have a financial incentive to take interest in cultured meat. Although Post’s original burger from 2013 cost over $300,000 to serve, the price of cultured meat has since trended downward.

The cultured ground beef currently available at U.S. restaurants is priced at roughly US$17 per pound compared to just US$4.33 per pound for traditional ground beef. It is anticipated that by 2030, cultured meat will match the price of conventional meat, possibly even undercutting it. This is the result of advancing technology and patent distribution for new cell growth supplements, such as fetal bovine serum.

However, other issues with cultured meat might mean that our society is not prepared to embrace this solution. First, cultured meat is still unaffordable to many consumers, limiting it to those willing and able to pay a premium for sustainably sourced food.

Further cultured meat producers have struggled to achieve mass appeal. Market perception largely dictates the acceptance of alternative meat products, with consumers often assessing their similarity to “natural” products. Because of this, the current market, which prioritizes “natural” food over environmental sustainability, is skeptical about the highly processed nature of cultured meat products. Beyond skepticism, 35% of meat-eaters and 55% of vegetarians believe cultured meat is “too disgusting to eat.”

Various national governments have remained hesitant to accept cultured meat, preventing access for most of the world. To date, cultured meat products have been approved for distribution only in Singapore, the United States, and the Netherlands.

Prominent advocacy groups, such as the Good Food Institute, have worked to overcome negative perceptions associated with cultured meat. They work to alleviate consumer concerns, help cultured meat producers succeed in the industry, and promote the benefits of cultured meat to governments.

Consumers have varied motivations for either embracing or eschewing cultured meat, influenced by their circumstances and values. As meat alternatives continue to pop up in grocery stores across the world, it is important that individuals carefully assess all their options and make an informed purchase based on their priorities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
By Jacob Nachman – Sustainability Reports Research Analyst Intern – G&A Institute

Jacob Nachman is an Sustainability Reports Research Analyst Intern with G&A Institute. He is completing his B.A. in Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University, Broad College of Business. Jacob is a member of the team preparing the G&A Institute 2024 Trends analysis of 2023 corporate sustainability reporting by Russell 1000 companies.