Studies & Numbers

Game-Changing or Problematic? Study Uncovers Wide Range of Opinions from UK Farmers on Cultivated Meat

The first phase of a project investigating the views of farmers in the UK on cultivated meat led by teams from the University of Lincoln and Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has revealed complex opinions on the topic.

Encouragingly, the study concludes that many farmers see potential opportunities in cultivated meat as a “game-changing technology” that can create cheaper meat products for populations with limited access to protein and may benefit arable farming more than livestock farming.

The project is part of a two-year study, Cultured Meat & Farmers, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in the Transforming Food Systems Programme and led by the Royal Agricultural University (RAU).

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Complex views on the technology

The research engaged 75 UK farmers across various regions through six focus groups to look into their understanding of cultivated meat and their views on the impact of the new technology on traditional farming and society.

The study reveals UK farmers’ complex views on the topic for the first time. According to the study’s authors, the initial reactions towards the technology were sceptical, with many participants expressing doubts about the feasibility of cultivating meat and its ability to replicate the texture, flavor, and nutrient density of traditional beef.

Responses among farmers were largely negative, with terms like “Frankenstein food” and “toxicity” being used to describe it, as shown by various quotes from the study.

Nonetheless, despite the scepticism, the research found that while for some farmers, cultivated meat represents a potential competition, others see an opportunity to boost sales of premium animal meat “not made in a bioreactor.” Other participants also speculated about the potential for new markets where traditional farms can provide plant or animal-derived raw materials.

Finnebrogue Wagyu herd
Image courtesy of Ivy Farm

Need for sustainable changes

Additionally, the study found that farmers have ethical concerns about the motivations, lack of transparency, and corporate secrecy of cultivated meat companies, fearing that it will lead to further concentration of power within the food system. Some participants raised unanswered questions, such as the industry’s waste.

“Cultured meat was viewed as a potential “game-changing” technology”

Meanwhile, according to the authors, most of the farmers in the study recognized the need for sustainable changes.

The study reads: “Cultured meat was viewed as a potential “game-changing” technology that could create cheaper meat products for populations with limited access to affordable and bioavailable forms of protein.” However, the study highlights farmers’ growing concerns over rural employment, nutrition, and land use.

To conclude, the research emphasizes the importance of including the perspectives of farmers in developing cultivated meat to understand its broader impacts and ensure new policies for responsible agricultural technology transitions.

Senior Lecturer in Animal Health and Welfare at the RAU, Dr. Lisa Morgans, commented on the findings: “To ensure disruptive technologies like cultured meat are developed in an ethical and responsible way, it is essential that we engage with, and include, farmers in the research process.”

The report has been published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.




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