Meat of the matter!

Today, people across the globe are eating more meat than ever. But the way that we have traditionally produced meat is putting tremendous pressure on our limited and fast depleting resources: causing severe global warming (as high as 25%), water pollution (more than 500 dead zones in the sea), and land pollution (¾ of deforested land is used for either animal cultivation or growing fodder).

Scientists predict that by 2050, the need for meat will skyrocket by 170 percent of the current consumption rate worldwide. The current approach to meat production is clearly not a sustainable one and therefore innovative solutions to meet the ever increasing demand for meat would have to be found.

Enter, cultured meat, which are grown in bioreactors (Device or system that supports a biologically active environment) using real stem cells from animals in a process called cell-based agriculture. By producing meat this way, we will be benefitting our planet in the following ways:

• Decreased use of resources, leading to less pollution and global warming, leading to a drastic improvement in the environment and biodiversity.

• No slaughter means no animal cruelty.

• Avoid frequent outbreaks of diseases caused by contaminated meat.

More than 80 start-ups, backed by Venture Capitalists, billionaires, and banks, all around the world are in their initial phases of engineering cultured meat. It is only a matter of time before the taste issues are sorted out too. Even though the upscaling and efficient commercial production of cultured meat remains a huge challenge, I believe that in the next decade if not earlier, we are likely to see a major shift to cultured meat consumption. So whether you like it or not, expect to see more of cultured meat heading to a shelf near you sooner than later!