O/T Farmers

[Lolmorgan]

Lab-grown meat, which is cultured from animal cells, is often thought to be more environmentally friendly than beef because it’s predicted to need less land, water and greenhouse gases than raising cattle. But in a preprint, not yet peer-reviewed, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that lab-grown or “cultivated” meat’s environmental impact is likely to be “orders of magnitude” higher than retail beef based on current and near-term production methods.

Researchers conducted a life-cycle assessment of the energy needed and greenhouse gases emitted in all stages of production and compared that with beef. One of the current challenges with lab-grown meat is the use of highly refined or purified growth media, the ingredients needed to help animal cells multiply. Currently, this method is similar to the biotechnology used to make pharmaceuticals. This sets up a critical question for cultured meat production: Is it a pharmaceutical product or a food product?

“If companies are having to purify growth media to pharmaceutical levels, it uses more resources, which then increases global warming potential,” said lead author and doctoral graduate Derrick Risner, UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. “If this product continues to be produced using the “pharma” approach, it’s going to be worse for the environment and more expensive than conventional beef production.”

The scientists defined the global warming potential as the carbon dioxide equivalents emitted for each kilogram of meat produced. The study found that the global warming potential of lab-based meat using these purified media is four to 25 times greater than the average for retail beef.

[frogmiller]

Lab-grown meat, which is cultured from animal cells, is often thought to be more environmentally friendly than beef because it’s predicted to need less land, water and greenhouse gases than raising cattle. But in a preprint, not yet peer-reviewed, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that lab-grown or “cultivated” meat’s environmental impact is likely to be “orders of magnitude” higher than retail beef based on current and near-term production methods.

Researchers conducted a life-cycle assessment of the energy needed and greenhouse gases emitted in all stages of production and compared that with beef. One of the current challenges with lab-grown meat is the use of highly refined or purified growth media, the ingredients needed to help animal cells multiply. Currently, this method is similar to the biotechnology used to make pharmaceuticals. This sets up a critical question for cultured meat production: Is it a pharmaceutical product or a food product?

“If companies are having to purify growth media to pharmaceutical levels, it uses more resources, which then increases global warming potential,” said lead author and doctoral graduate Derrick Risner, UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. “If this product continues to be produced using the “pharma” approach, it’s going to be worse for the environment and more expensive than conventional beef production.”

The scientists defined the global warming potential as the carbon dioxide equivalents emitted for each kilogram of meat produced. The study found that the global warming potential of lab-based meat using these purified media is four to 25 times greater than the average for retail beef.

Wow! Thanks for that Lolmorgan.

[ragingpup]

Lab-grown meat, which is cultured from animal cells, is often thought to be more environmentally friendly than beef because it’s predicted to need less land, water and greenhouse gases than raising cattle. But in a preprint, not yet peer-reviewed, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that lab-grown or “cultivated” meat’s environmental impact is likely to be “orders of magnitude” higher than retail beef based on current and near-term production methods.

Researchers conducted a life-cycle assessment of the energy needed and greenhouse gases emitted in all stages of production and compared that with beef. One of the current challenges with lab-grown meat is the use of highly refined or purified growth media, the ingredients needed to help animal cells multiply. Currently, this method is similar to the biotechnology used to make pharmaceuticals. This sets up a critical question for cultured meat production: Is it a pharmaceutical product or a food product?

“If companies are having to purify growth media to pharmaceutical levels, it uses more resources, which then increases global warming potential,” said lead author and doctoral graduate Derrick Risner, UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. “If this product continues to be produced using the “pharma” approach, it’s going to be worse for the environment and more expensive than conventional beef production.”

The scientists defined the global warming potential as the carbon dioxide equivalents emitted for each kilogram of meat produced. The study found that the global warming potential of lab-based meat using these purified media is four to 25 times greater than the average for retail beef.

This is a very interesting article Lol. But it also goes on to say:

One of the goals of the industry is to eventually create lab-grown meat using primarily food-grade ingredients or cultures without the use of expensive and energy-intensive pharmaceutical grade ingredients and processes.

Under that scenario, researchers found cultured meat is much more environmentally competitive, but with a wide range. Cultured meat’s global warming potential could be between 80% lower to 26% above that of conventional beef production, they calculate. While these results are more promising, the leap from “pharma to food” still represents a significant technical challenge for system scale-up.

So the potential of using lab based meat could be up to 80% lower global warming potential that of convential beef. But they are stressing the need to recreate meat using 'food based' ingredients rather than 'pharma based' ingredients which they say could be more damaging than conventional methods.

Important to put forward the whole conclusions of the study rather than just the first part which only highlights the environmental cost of pharma based growing and therefore misrepresents their findings. Full report:

https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/la...int-worse-beef

[frogmiller]

Have the German, Polish and some Dutch Farmers made the news yet? They're blocking everything in Germany with the help of the truckers. There won't be any food deliveries out of Germany. How will that effect Lidl and Aldi customers?

This must be of some importance to the world! Why aren't they showing it?

[UskMiller]

This is a very interesting article Lol. But it also goes on to say:

One of the goals of the industry is to eventually create lab-grown meat using primarily food-grade ingredients or cultures without the use of expensive and energy-intensive pharmaceutical grade ingredients and processes.

Under that scenario, researchers found cultured meat is much more environmentally competitive, but with a wide range. Cultured meat’s global warming potential could be between 80% lower to 26% above that of conventional beef production, they calculate. While these results are more promising, the leap from “pharma to food” still represents a significant technical challenge for system scale-up.

So the potential of using lab based meat could be up to 80% lower global warming potential that of convential beef. But they are stressing the need to recreate meat using 'food based' ingredients rather than 'pharma based' ingredients which they say could be more damaging than conventional methods.

Important to put forward the whole conclusions of the study rather than just the first part which only highlights the environmental cost of pharma based growing and therefore misrepresents their findings. Full report:

https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/la...int-worse-beef

Thanks for taking the time to review the full article, RP. This provides appropriate balance. It's perhaps worth emphasising this is a pre-print and has not yet been peer-reviewed.

[UskMiller]

There are possible long terms gains but as you say, there are potential long term risks to balance it against. Possible gains are that we have the benefits of simulated meat and dairy without the associated environmental damage that is seemingly being caused (no expert, but strong evidence of this) and inherent cruelty of the industry (personal opinion, not asking you or anyone to agree). These would be massive gains.

Possible harms though are that, if produced using unsafe produce including chemicals and lab grown ingredients, are mass physical illness. So I would say we need to make sure that the exploration of this inductry is well regulated and transparent. Not easy when quick and big bucks are to be made, but not beyond us. I think we're collectively capable of that. Personally. Plus, I'd kill for some lab grown cheese.

Having spent a King's ransom on alternative cheeses and then discarding them due to their inedible nature (sadly ironic when one of my personal reasons for doing so is to reduce my environmental impact), I do enjoy Cathedral's plant-based 'cheddar'. (Although a friend who enjoys his dairy cheeses made it clear that, as the 'best' plant-based cheese on offer, it still doesn't pass the taste/texture taste!). I quite like Applewood, too, fwiw.

[frogmiller]

They’re training the next generation 😂

https://x.com/demo2020cracy/status/1...lcvxGrPcIOixGQ

[ragingpup]

Having spent a King's ransom on alternative cheeses and then discarding them due to their inedible nature (sadly ironic when one of my personal reasons for doing so is to reduce my environmental impact), I do enjoy Cathedral's plant-based 'cheddar'. (Although a friend who enjoys his dairy cheeses made it clear that, as the 'best' plant-based cheese on offer, it still doesn't pass the taste/texture taste!). I quite like Applewood, too, fwiw.

I think I must have tried em all Usk and can't get past the coconuttyness! There's a nice almond soft cheese you can get in a pot but miss the Cheddars etc for sarnies. No luck yet

[UskMiller]

I have been tracking this for a few years now, it is very worrying what is happening to farming globally. When we get the so called leaders telling us we have to reduce food production by as much as 30% due to climate change!! when we have officially 100s millions of people starving in the world, it indicates there is a bigger agenda and not one that is good for the regular people. As for ragingpups view on animal products, that is a very 1st world view, I have no issue with individuals chosing a certain non-animal product lifestyle but if you think enforcing such a policy is possible for the world you are living in a fantasy world. We in the wider west are lucky and food comes easy to us, remember less than 100 years ago what famine did following the Bolshevik revoulation, where people ate their own children.

You make some good points, DM.

If you're interested, this (peer-reviewed! &#128578 paper gives a comprehensive review (in breadth and length - it's long!) on carbon emissions relating to different dietary types. For brevity, figures 7-9 summarise the main thrust of it all. https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...90123023001810.

I agree we are a long way off plant-based diets becoming the norm and replacing beef-based diets, although this piece gives some nice context for where it is fairly commonplace - https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/w...an-vegan-diet/.

If you like your satire, Simon Anstell's Carnage is an interesting take (although I appreciate he and it are not to everyone's taste, no pun intended).

I hope this doesn't come across as preachy in anyway. That's not my intention. Just thought some it might be of interest.

[UskMiller]

I think I must have tried em all Usk and can't get past the coconuttyness! There's a nice almond soft cheese you can get in a pot but miss the Cheddars etc for sarnies. No luck yet

Agree on the soft cheeses, Pup. I think me having a poor sense of smell (a result of a broken nose) might put me at an advantage re. accepting the hard cheeses! 😁