In-vitro meat: A solution for problems of meat production and meat consumption?

In 2013, Mark Post and his colleagues at the University of Maastricht presented the first cultured meat (in-vitromeat) burger made from bovine stem cells. The technological innovation is intended to offer a possibility of reducing or even eliminating the negative effects of current meat production and meat consumption on humans, animals, and the environment. Large scale production, however, is not yet possible, and the question remains whether cultured meat will be able to keep what the developers promise. The following article^1^ deals with this question, addressing the results of expert and stakeholder interviews as well as participative processes that were carried out in a project at the Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis = ITAS). Among other aspects, the manufacturing process, possible impact on the environment, animals and humans, consumer acceptance, as well as the subsidy of research and development of cultured meat will be discussed. Cultured meat presents an interesting alternative to conventional meat production, although many questions are as yet unanswered, particularly with regard to technical feasibility and ethical as well as social aspects. More research is essential; the search for a sustainable alternative to current meat production should, however, also involve other approaches such as ecological agriculture.