It’s pretty clear we have already reached the apex of meat consumption in the U.S. Animal products are finally “meating” their makers and going out of style in a flash and with good reason. Constant consumption of animal-based protein has been a mainstay in humanity since we were hunter-gatherers, but the only constant in our society is change — and it’s hitting the meat industry harder than a semi-truck.

There are a few primary problems with the meatpacking industry, and they encompass both the mental and physical realms. The most talked-about premise I’ve heard behind the abandonment of meat is the ethical quandary of mistreating and slaughtering living animals purely for our enjoyment. While it’s a newer (as in it only emerged in the 1970s) issue entering the spotlight compared to the other industry problems, it is something that needs to be factored seriously into future decisions. Now that the U.S. as a nation has enough general food security to have the luxury of choice when it comes to our daily meals, we can afford to be more humane with our nutritional choices. 

Beyond the abstract issues that are growing in priority, having a primarily meat-based diet is just not feasible anymore. As the Earth’s population is still growing, every year there are more and more humans and less and less space for livestock. The shrinking amount of available space to grow livestock will inevitably lead to a slow in meat production and will also turn even the most humane animal farms into factory farms full of mistreated animals. And to add on, the amount of arable land consumed by the production of feed for our favorite protein sources is just way too high to be feasible in the much fuller Earth of our future.

This is without even mentioning the ongoing debates about the nutritional value of meat compared to other foods in general along with theories based on us being biologically inclined to vegetarian or even frugivory diets. We have more than enough ammunition to drive our society’s transformation away from meat but with science unlocking new avenues for humanity every day, I think there’s a solid chance that meat could have a resurgence in the future.

There is a real possibility that lab-grown meat is the solution that ensures meat will be enjoyed by future generations. In my judgment, the livestock industry will be long-gone but with meat that can be grown almost anywhere with a caloric investment that’s just a fractional amount of traditional meat (3-4 times better than chicken, 6-8 times better than beef), we could very well be able to save steak. It will never be as efficient as a plant-based diet, but it’s a great improvement. It also completely solves the ethical problems behind meat consumption. With no animals being harmed in its production, people will be able to eat meat with impunity. The invasion of lab-grown meat into local markets may be met with a bit of resistance by people who like the status quo, who are scared of consuming something “unnatural,” but it’s impossible to make everyone happy and I believe that eating lab-grown meat could become the new normal.

However, this explosion of lab-grown meat is still many years down the road. A main analysis of the industry provides incredibly optimistic data stating the cost could be tenable by 2030. Other studies aren’t yet convinced implementation on a large scale is even possible due to equipment cost. To add to that, we have all had opportunities to try “alternative” plant-based meats and it’s obvious that they aren’t good enough to be legitimate replacements for traditional meat just yet. As a result, I think the U.S. meat industry is about to enter a deep dive and if it emerges, it will have a very new look. Traditional meat-based diets are getting left in the past and plant-based diets are the present and future, but the lab is very well capable of ushering in a new golden age of lab-grown meat if our leaders in science can play their cards right.

Note: This was also published on the UC Davis online newspaper, theaggie.org, and is posted here with permission. Enjoy!