As in so many other areas, reality is catching up with science fiction. I recall reading stories that included factory raised proteins nearly 50 years ago. Science fiction authors conceived of many things (geosynchronous satellites, cell phones, electric cars) long before engineers built them. Some of those engineers grew up on SF and credit the visionary authors as having motivated them. That’s certainly the case with geosynchronous satellites.
I’d certainly eat grown meat.
Given the harm of sugar needs 40+ years to really make aware to the general public. Of course scientists have known this long time ago, but with lobbies resisting and hiding unfavourable medical report. I think you need several generations of people’s consumption to really tell how those protein react with the human body and its consequences.
For countries that have meat supply problem, for example China’s interdiction of local pork due to the recent propagation of African swine fever in Asia, the price of pork is skyrocketing. With a concern of industrial agriculture and its environmental pollution, maybe countries with high population will embrace the idea more readily than for example in developed countries like Europe, where there is a traditional resistance to the unknown and the love of traditions. GM crops has a lot of problem to be accepted here in France, for example.
With more and more concern on ethics of animal farming, I remember some 10-15+ years, to find a French gastronomy restaurant here that would like to accommodate a vegetarian friend was an impossible job. They just turned you away. Now, vegetarian and vegan food is easily found in big cities as many young people are going vegetarian, and restaurateurs are ready to modify their menu.
The “so what”?
Some city slickers might have more empathy for the people and industry who raise meat, if they knew them. It’s easier to decide a part of the workforce is outdated or useless if you don’t know anyone personally who would be affected. Same goes with how city slickers might view miners, fisherman, lumberjacks, people who work in the oil sands. It is personal if you or your family work in these areas.
I’ve seen the horse race industry destroyed here in Ontario, where I live, in order to try to increase revenue for the government (which takes a cut from gambling and horse betting), by growing the number of casinos while cutting the racing programmes. Less people are required to run a casino full of slots.
It has affected the farmers who grew the feed for the horses, the people who breed horses, the horse trainers, the real estate values in the country, the jockeys. A lot of horses have been put down. A lot of horsemeat has been sold to Russia. Racehorse meat. This was done so Ontario government could make more money off those vulnerable to gambling, by pushing the cheaper slot machines and casinos, instead of making money off the horse races.
I choose to shop in person. I have used Amazon twice, once for a baby gift that was on a registry, and once for a stainless steel electric skillet after checking every kitchen shop and department store in Manhattan and Toronto. All the skillets I could find had a non-stick surface, and the only places I could find a stainless electric skillet was online.
I don’t use Uber or AirBnB. We all make our choices, how we want to live in 2019.
For many countries, agriculture including the animal farming is still a relative important sector for the economy.
In France, the EU politics + the keen price competition between supermarkets keep prices down for agriculteurs. It is known that they work long hards, but couldn’t earn the minimum salary leading to desperations and suicides. One of the reason of the strike right now and yellow vest movement now in France is the misery in the rural area against the politics of the government. France has recently approved the selling of cheaper Canadian meat with the CETA leading to more discontent.
I wonder this lab meat trend, if happens, will lead to more social problems.
I am a big believer in freedom of the public to do/eat/smoke whatever they want so long as it doesn’t hurt another person or take away their freedoms. I am against having to wait for government to tell us what to eat, drink or how to live. Therefore, I don’t blame the lobbyists - nor do I listen to them.
The internet is knowledge at our fingertips and is full of medical studies about on the dangers of sugars (sugar being just one example - red meat is another). If a consumer wants to eat sugar (or red meat), they should be allowed to. I eat red meat, but don’t consume any sugars of any type (white, brown, molasses, maple syrup, etc), and I don’t want - or think the government should restrict it. I don’t smoke pot either, but I don’t think there should be a law to restrict that either or cigarettes or alcohol.
When I said we have to wait until it is proven safe, it is not the government I am waiting for - but the scientists. If the product they are able to produce is meat, proven to be of the same substance as the meat they retrieved the stem cells from, I would have no problem eating it. I don’t have to wait for generations.
I don’t think it is a question of empathy or viewing these people as outdated as just chucking any concerns for them aside. But one cannot just cover their eyes when it comes to progression and understand that throughout history, people always had to keep up with technology and although jobs were lost, others were available.
You mention Amazon, uber, etc - as if it something negative. There are many many elderly people who would disagree with you. Many of whom before these companies, had to stay at home and hope their children would purchase what they need and come and take them to where they wanted to go. These companies have offered many people the freedom to be independent.
I don’t think the animal farming is going away any time soon. The clean meat production if it ever gets to market - won’t completely eliminate all animal farming - at least not in the short run.
I am more interested in the science and technology of how meat is/can be “created” from animals. Taking stem cells from a cow and creating a cleaner, healthier product. I find it extremely interesting and I don’t think at this point it requires to start thinking about (especially not panicking about) the entire animal farming going away and the social problems it will entail.
I agree with you about the lack of science when it comes to organic vs conventional. In fact, in many countries where the conventional lack of pesticides on food is causing more harm than good.
I agree. Also, animals won’t have to be “produced/created” just so we can then slaughter them for food, it may result in a more natural environment. We’ll have to see, but it is interesting nonetheless. Thanks for your input
Your question actually made me think of a related question, how many of us are ready to accept a replaced organ created with stem technology in a lab?
Strangely I will say, I may be more willing to accept that than to eat meat with this type of technology. I guess when it comes to a life and death question, it is another story!
Interesting. For me there would be no difference - Stem cells are nothing but a way to re-create the same product. If this is successful, the “meat” will be meat, just better/cleaner/healthier
I guess there is a lack of confidence in food industries that their aim is to maximise profit. Right now lab meat for food, we don’t know the price or cost nor the nutrient values, so it’s hard to discuss.
But that piece of remplacement organ that is going to save a life, I bet, it will cost a fortune.
I do think Uber is worse than taking a taxi. Taxi drivers who have lost income have been more stressed, and some have commited suicide in NYC. Try suing Uber if you are in a car accident as a passenger. Watch how some Uber drivers drive in the snow. I can’t stand Uber. Taxi companies have apps now, so Uber helped them get to that. If Uber ceased to exist tomorrow, I would be fine with that.
Amazon is a mixed bag, and I’d rather shop in person. I’m glad it exists, for me to get things that are no longer held in stock. But the reason they are no longer held in stock, is that Amazon has made it difficult for bricks and mortar stores to keep things in stock without taking a financial risk.
The question is are we that free to choose? Yes if you are educated and rich enough. I watched a documentary on a London mother living in poverty struggling with high rents in the city, she understood very well the evils of transformed food, and would like to buy more fresh food for her children, but due to the budget constraint, that was not possible. Given the clean meat, if they are priced much below the animal meat, they will be used in transformed food.
Also, the lobbyists have a lot of influences on scientific reports and well and on government officials. Why is it so difficult to get rid of glyphosate, scientific reports show it caused serious health people and to the environment. The consumers said no to it. Why is it still around? Should it be leave to the company to decide whether they should continue to sell the insecticide? The same with clean meat, I don’t think it is so simple as a problem of personal will. Transformed food can be mixed with lab meat without specifically mentioning that, which is the case of insect protein in our food, a recently discovery. There is the need of government legislation.
So true. 
Dick Tracy used to have a watch that was a phone. The Jetsons had a flying car and a maid who was a robot.
I’m still waiting the teleportation to happen! 
I don’t live in London and am not familiar with the prices in their markets, but here in the US, I remember seeing an episode on one of the Sunday morning shows and they were discussing how poor people are overweight because they “have to eat at McDonald’s” due to budget constraints.
With the money that it would cost to feed one person at McD’s- which today is about $7.50 (US) one can buy a 3 pounds of frozen vegetables (peas/carrots/string beans, etc) ($3), 2 boxes of pasta ($2), 2 28oz cans of Tomato Sauce ($2.50) and feed an entire family with a healthy, tasty meal
We are really getting off topic here and a bit too political. I understand your points and agree about the need for regulation if and when the clean meat comes to market. I don’t think for a second that any scientist will be able to sell food from a lab without the FDA approval (which takes years).
…and Elon Musk’s Neuralink
We have a topic a while ago on poverty and food, so I’ll leave it there. Yeah, these type of issues can turn political easily.
Actually, I’m thinking virtual meat might be a better term than clean meat. Clean can have a religious connotation, you know Halal.
There are even more examples than the ones you provided. This is a sensitive issue that has and will always take place as life advances causing jobs to go through a transformation and yet no matter how people try and fight it, the advancement will always take preference and in the end everyone forgets about how it used to be. Just look at how people tried to protest the industrial revolution - now it seems laughable that people wanted to live without electricity and cars. One day people will say, “You used to kill animals to eat them?”
