Cultured meat: Promises and challenges

Résumé

Cultured meat involves producing meat from animal cells, not from slaughtered animals. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize the meat industry, with wide implications for the environment, health and animal welfare. The main purpose of this paper is to stimulate some economic research on cultured meat. In particular, this paper includes a prospective discussion on the demand and supply of cultured meat. It also discusses some early results on the environmental impacts of cultured meat, emphasizing the promises (e.g., regarding the reduction in land use) but also the uncertainties. It then argues that cultured meat is a moral improvement compared to conventional meat. Finally, it discusses some regulatory issues, and the need for more public support to the innovation.

Mots-clés

Meat; cultured meat; food innovation; meat consumption; meat production; climate change; pollution; land use; animal welfare; regulation;

Codes JEL

Q16: R&D • Agricultural Technology • Biofuels • Agricultural Extension Services
Q18: Agricultural Policy • Food Policy
Q52: Pollution Control Adoption Costs • Distributional Effects • Employment Effects
Q11: Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis • Prices
L31: Nonprofit Institutions • NGOs
L66: Food • Beverages • Cosmetics • Tobacco • Wine and Spirits