The development of cellular agriculture, which is the food grown in factories from cells or yeast, depending on how it occurs, contains the potential to either provide beneficial alternatives to the status quo or accelerate socioeconomic inequality.
That’s the conclusion of a new study led by Penn State researchers, who assessed the potential trajectories for a new technology that synergizes computer science, biopharma, tissue engineering and food science to grow cultured meat, dairy, and egg products from animal cells and/or genetically modified yeast. The study was published today in Agriculture and Human Values.
The entities that currently are best positioned to capitalize on these innovations are large companies, Nonetheless, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, smart agriculture, bioengineering, synthetic biology and 3D printers are also being used to decentralize and personalize food manufacturing. They have the potential to democratize ownership and mobilize alternative
Although cellular meat is not yet widely available to consumers, its proponents believe that cellular agriculture could reduce land, water and chemical inputs minimize greenhouse gas emissions, improve food safety, optimize nutrition, and eliminate the need to raise and slaughter large numbers of animals for food. However, cellular agriculture could also concentrate ownership and power in the global food system, namely by displacing ranchers, farmers, fishermen and ancillary industries.
The latter possibility has led to widespread concern that cellular agriculture could accelerate the concentration of wealth and diminish public participation in agriculture — all while offering fewer environmental and nutritional benefits than promised.