Lab-Grown Meat Vs Animal Meat: Which is Better?
Just about a decade ago, the first lab-grown meat burger was created and tested. Since then, more and more scientific discoveries and innovations have proved that it is indeed possible to have meat on food plates without having to slaughter any animal.
While there are other means such as plant modification techniques which can provide us with plant-based meats, there is no fallacy in admitting that these plant-based products do not do well enough in terms of taste and the general intrinsic qualities of meat.
Of course, cultivated meat is not nature’s destined way of supplying us with animal protein, but it provides us with anything we’ll ever ask for in animal meat without the loss of animal life. Much more than this, cell-based meat promises solutions to tens of other challenges that conventional meat production presents.
Advantages of Lab grown meat over Animal meat
1. Lab-grown meat is slaughter-free and thus, protects animal rights
2. It limits the risk of disease outbreaks in animals as well as the cases of drug-resistant bacteria due to overly administered drugs.
3. It limits land and water use: Cell-based meat production requires 99% less land.
4. According to Oxford, lab-grown meat is capable of cutting down greenhouse gas emissions by up to 96%.
5. Producing meat in labs rather than farming to have animal meat conserves water consumption by an 82% to 96% margin.
6.The production process for cultured meat consumes 7 to 45% less energy than conventional animal farming.
Much more than being environmentally friendly, the promise of lab-grown meat is also one that would effectively solve the problem of food security by making animal protein readily available. Even though this one fact is still in theory, the cell-based meat industry does have the capacity for sustainable food production from all indications.
What About the Disadvantages?
Of course, we will not shut our eyes to concerns that arise with the advent of cell-based meat production. For example, the industry still thrives on very expensive production techniques which makes the product not fit for the market just yet.
Lab-grown meat companies sometimes source animal tissues from fetal bovine serum. This procedure itself has raised ethical concerns from some parties since it implies "putting an end" to just-beginning animal life.
On the other hand, the lab-grown meat industry does have the capacity to worsen climate change on a scale comparable to that of factory farming unless sustainable energy sources are channeled into production. Meanwhile, it is needless to say that increased acceptability for lab-grown meat would mean loss of jobs for farmers and workers at slaughter labs.
Conclusion
Only time will reveal if lab-grown meat products will totally replace conventional meat. However, we are sure of the many ways embracing lab-grown meat can make the environment a better place. Like every other technological innovation and the change it brings, it may be hard to adjust to it, but in the long run, the reality of the benefits far outweighs any controversy or drawback.
