Cell-based meat impact: Study says farmers identify a “competitive edge” over bioreactor meat

08 Jan 2024 --- Amid the cultured meat advancements worldwide, scientists in the UK have investigated the opinion of groups that the technology has impacted the most — farmers. The two-year study will examine farmers’ attitudes to cultured meat, potential opportunities and risks and how it could affect UK agriculture if production is scaled up.

While there have been many academic papers about the opportunities for cultured meat, more work needs to be undertaken to ask how it might affect farming, says the team.

Now, the team of farmers, researchers, and start-ups – funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in the Transforming Food Systems Programme is looking to redress this balance.

“The perspectives shared by farmers on the research so far have been critical in developing our understanding of how cultured meat could affect the farming sectors here in the UK,” says Dr. Lisa Morgans, senior lecturer in Animal Health and Welfare at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), UK, who led the focus group research.

“They have shared insights that we would not have known about or appreciated without involving farmers in a meaningful way. To ensure disruptive technologies like cultured meat are developed ethically and responsibly, it is essential that we engage with, and include, farmers in the research process.”

The study held discussions with 75 farmers from six focus groups in the UK to ensure a just transition for them.The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, reports the views of UK farmers about this “potentially disruptive” technology and is being conducted by the University of Lincoln and Royal Agricultural University (RAU), UK.

“A just transition for farmers”
The paper reports the first phase of the project – investigating farmers’ attitudes to the technology.

The study delves into discussions with 75 farmers from six focus groups representing a wide range of sectors across the four nations in the UK.

Professor Louise Manning, the lead author of the study from the University of Lincoln, states: “This research is so important to consider how we ensure a just transition for farmers and food processors across the country, many of them microbusinesses, if the edible protein is produced using this technology.”

She notes that informing consumers about how the protein is produced and ensuring the whole process of regulatory approval, process validation, and scale-up is transparent is essential to gain societal trust.

“This project is mapping how cultured meat might be produced at scale and what the consequences might be for both rural and urban communities.”

Common concerns and opportunities
Some of the threats highlighted in the paper include potential effects on health and where the product would be pitched in the market as either a high-value or low-value protein – would it compete with steak or mince, chicken breast or chicken nugget? A common concern was the lack of information on the technology.

“There’s so much money being thrown at [cultured meat] that we can’t afford to ignore it. We need to raise questions about things like waste products and sourcing the inputs,” underscored one farmer in the study. 

“We should be pinning them down on that now. They’re telling us this is the future; they’ve got to tell us what it means,” he added.

The study highlighted far-reaching impacts of cultured meat across the livestock industry, where margins are small.Interestingly, while some surveyed farmers see the innovations in cell-based meat as potential “competition” to traditional meat production, others from the community suggested it could create a “premium” for pasture-reared meat, pointing to opportunities for the farming sector.

For instance, a lamb and beef producer thought marketing their produce as “the real stuff” might give them a competitive edge over protein produced in a bioreactor. In contrast, others envisioned new markets where farms supply plant or animal-based raw materials for the process.

Impact on rural communities
The study’s first phase laid the foundation for the next phase - mapping how cultured meat might affect different agricultural sectors. The farmers talked about far-reaching impacts across the livestock industry, where margins are small and the industry is under financial pressure.

The team now partners with nine case study farms spread across the UK and representing various farming systems. Together, they will explore how each farm could respond to this new technology, for example, how it could best compete or supply ingredients or even produce cultured meat on the farm.

According to the scientists, the findings will produce a heat map of the winners and losers in future scenarios where cultured meat is on sale in the UK. The outputs from the project will support policymakers and investors to consider the technology’s multiple impacts on farming and rural communities. 

The further findings are due to be published late in 2024.

By Insha Naureen