Dairy

Technological revolutions usually leave societies better off than they were before, but that’s never without some collateral damage. We are now at the dawn of an imminent Biological Revolution that promises to impact all areas of our lives, from health to food, climate, manufacturing, and much more. The general assumption is that technology is intrinsically neutral — it can be used for either good or bad and the outcome depends on the person or group who uses it. However, history has shown us time and time again that this is not entirely true.

What options are on the food-tech menu for achieving long-term protein security? Cell culture, plants, microorganisms, algae, and fungi may all have roles to play. But from a sustainability and resilience perspective, is there a clear winner?

Gene-recombinant biotechnologies aim to produce key animal proteins at a fraction of the cost of conventional animal husbandry. The implications for research, medicine, food systems, and the climate could be huge. But can these emergent technologies scale quickly enough to spur system-wide change?