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Cell-cultured meat. Modern meat

What changes farmers will need to withstand because of the shift to alternative proteins (cultured meat, fermentation, plant-based)? To sustain their living and stay competitive with new technological innovations from alternative proteins— Cellular Agriculture

Sources

6. Gasteratos, Kristopher. 2019. 90 Reasons to Consider Cellular Agriculture.

10. Santo, Raychel E., et al. "Considering plant-based meat substitutes and cell-based meats: A public health and food systems perspective."

12. Tubb, Catherine, and Tony Seba. "Rethinking Food and Agriculture 2020-2030: The Second Domestication of Plants and Animals, the Disruption of the Cow, and the Collapse of Industrial Livestock Farming." RethinkX. Available online at: https://www. rethinkx. com/food-and-agriculture

13. Stephens, Neil, et al. "Bringing cultured meat to market: Technical, socio-political, and regulatory challeneges in cellular agrcilture. Trends in Food Science & Technology 78 (2018): 155-166.

14. Johnston, Jeremiah, and Emily Soice. "How Cellular Agriculture Systems Can Promote Food Security." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems: 450.

27. Donham, Kelley J., et al. "Community health and socioeconomic issues surrounding concentrated animal feeding operations."

46. World Bank. Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). April 2019. Web.

47. Ritchie, Hannah and Roser, Max. Urbanization; Section: Agricultural employment vs. urbanization. Or World in Data. September 2018. Web.

48. USDA. Farm Labor: Number of Farms and Workers by Decade, US. Charts and Maps. Web.

49. St. Louis Federal Reserve. % of Employment in Agriculture in the United States (DISCONTINUED) (USAPEMANA). 10 June, 2013. Web.

50. World Bank. Rural population (% of total population). 2018. Web.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service. “Feedgrains Sector at a Glance,” accessed on April 24, 2021, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/corn-and-other- feedgrains/feedgrains-sector-at-a-glance/.

Krugman, Paul. The Gambler’s Ruin of Small Cities (Wonkish). New York Times. 30 December, 2017. Web.

Brynjolfsson, Erk; Shiller, Robert; Howard, Jeremy. Interview: The Great Decoupling. McKinsey & Company. September 2014. Web.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/dining/dairy-farm-beer-craft-brewery.html

Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health. Trends in Fatal Occupational Injuries in Selected Agricultural Industries from the Midwest Region of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) 2005 - 2012. September 2014.

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WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH: Safety in the Meat and Poultry Industry, while Improving,Could Further Strengthened. US Government Accountability Office. January 2005. Web.

Working 'The Chain,' Slaughterhouse Workers Face Lifelong Injuries. National Public Radio. 11 August, 2016. Web.

Gerlock, Grant. We Don't Know How Many Workers Are Injured At Slaughterhouses. Here's Why. National Public Radio. 25 May, 2015. Web.

Fitzgerald, Amy; Kalof, Linda; Dietz, Thomas. Slaughterhouses and Increased Crime Rates: An Empirical Analysis of the Spillover From “The Jungle” Into the Surrounding Community. Organization and Environment. Volume 20, Number 10. 2009. Web.

Barret,BettyJo;Fitzgerald,Amy;Stevenson,Rochelle;Cheung,ChiHo.AnimalMaltreatmentasaRisk Marker of More Frequent and Severe Forms of Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 14 July 2017. Web.

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https://gfi.org/resource/cultivated-meat-eggs-and-dairy-state-of-the-industry-report/

https://gfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/COR-SOTIR-Cultivated-Meat-2021-0429.pdf

Helliwell, Richard, and Rob JF Burton. "The promised land? Exploring the future visions and

narrative silences of cellular agriculture in news and industry media." Journal of Rural Studies 84

(2021): 180-191.

Chiles RM, Broad G, Gagnon M, Negowetti N, Glenna L, Griffin MAM, Tami-Barrera L, Baker S,

Beck K. Democratizing ownership and participation in the 4th Industrial Revolution: challenges

and opportunities in cellular agriculture. Agric Human Values. 2021 Aug 24:1-19. doi:

10.1007/s10460-021-10237-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34456466; PMCID: PMC8383920.

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Cell-cultured meat could create a shift in Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG #8) from traditional blue-collar farming to white-collar food production, which may require a transfer in job skills, but could ultimately present physical and mental benefits as compared to conventional farming. As an emerging field, cellular agriculture offers substantial Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure growth (SDG #9). Open access to cellular agriculture technology and its potential benefits could assist in Reducing Inequality (SDG #10) currently experienced by rural communities.

Fundamental Questions

What is one of the main concerns regarding cellular agriculture’s impacton employment? What benefits could cell-cultured meat jobs bring?

A major drawback for cellular agriculture is the potential displacement of traditional farming jobs. As a disruptive technology, cell-cultured meat may take jobs away from current farm owners but might provide safer physical and mental workplace environments instead.

Summarize the growth in cellular agriculture industry,innovation,and infrastructure. What advancements still need to be made?

Cellular agriculture is an emerging industry that has received a lot of support in recent years. With over 200 companies as of 2023, companies continue to be established around the world with many different meat and animal product focuses and new pilot production plants. Advancements in commercial scaling and regulation continue to challenge the industry.

How can cellular agriculture address inequality?

The potential for decentralized and democratized production and distribution of cell- cultured meat offers the chance to increase availability to more people. If cellular agriculture can contribute to reducing the effects of climate change, then disparities related to regions more affected by these environmental impacts may also benefit.

What type of funding has fueled cell-cultured meat research so far and what are some pros and cons to partnering with conventional meat companies?

Thus far, the primary funding for cell-cultured meat has been through venture capitalists, but financial support from governments is increasing. Strategic partnerships with conventional meat companies offer a consumer base and resources such as funding but could introduce tension between industries and monopolization of the technology.

1.4 Decent Work and Economic Growth

The UN has chosen “Decent Work and Economic Growth” as an SDG because labor enterprise empowers people to improve their standard of living. A shift away from conventional meat production could have at least three key implications for decent work and economic growth: employment, occupational health, and mental health.

1.4.1 Employment

A significant drawback for novel cell-cultured meat production is the potential displacement and unemployment of conventional farming and related animal byproduct industries. Since 2000, global employment in agriculture has fallen from 40% to 30% in 2017.46

There are about 1.2 million jobs in US beef and dairy production, and one group estimates that, by 2030, half of those jobs could become obsolete if cell-cultured meat is scaled to become cheaper than traditionally farmed meat.10,12 The industrialization of food production has had dramatic labor-reducing effects across history, and there is a well-established trend in global demographics linking decline in agricultural employment to urbanization.47 The US is illustrative of this trend. USDA figures suggest that from about 1910 to 2000, employment on farms fell by nearly 70 % even as total production increased dramatically.48 St. Louis Federal Reserve Data finds that, as a percentage of total employment, agriculture’s share has fallen from about 4.5 % in 1960 to 1.5 % in 2012, as jobs continue to shift to other sectors.49 A revolutionary change in the meat supply chain could create a ripple effect beyond agricultural industries with a “global- scale shift in livelihoods”.13,50 The labor involved in food production may change from primarily blue collar workers on farms to white collar scientists in laboratories.

Moreover, by disrupting an industry that employs hundreds of millions of people, directly in animal rearing and indirectly in crop cultivation for animal feed, cell-cultured meat could accelerate global trends toward urbanization. Since 2000, the share of the world’s population living in rural areas has fallen from about 50 % to 45 %.51 Meatpacking helped build the cities of Chicago and New York through European immigration in the 19th century, and similar recent effects have been seen in Nebraska and Kansas with immigrants from Central America. Given that roles in the cell-cultured meat sector would require a higher level of education and skill for initial production, it seems likely that the industry might locate its operations primarily in medium-sized to large urban centers, which already possess more of the scientific infrastructure, such as large bioreactors.3,14,50,52 Some towns built around animal agriculture could experience a reduction in employment due to the rise of cell-cultured meat facilities, as they are likely to be highly automated. It is likely that cell-cultured meat could reduce demand for crops like corn, soy, sorghum, and hay, which compose most of the feed given to farm animals. USDA statistics for 2020-21 show that, of the major feed grains consumed by livestock in the US, corn accounts for more than 95 % of the total.53 By reducing the number of farm animals and therefore also the amount of feed produced for them, cell-cultured meat could put conventional meat processing facilities and potentially grain farming operations out of business. The ensuing labor shock could displace hundreds of millions of people from rural communities and small urban areas, forcing them to seek work in larger urban centers, while reducing the quality of life for people who remain. While larger cities will likely survive a labor shock, many smaller urban areas centered around meatpacking plants may not persist through the disruption. Small cities may cease to thrive when an industry declines because they lack diversity of human capital.54 If cell-cultured meat and conventional meat production require similar infrastructure, however, the corporations already mass-producing meat in rural population centers might purposefully locate cell-cultured meat facilities near infrastructure they already own in small cities (see Section 2.5, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, below). In addition, factors such as vertical agriculture in the form of hydroponics and/ or aeroponics could also shift food production closer to urban centers. Ultimately, it is difficult to concretely predict the dynamic labor market effects of cell-cultured meat.

Cell-cultured meat production will likely require a transfer of skills and new job opportunities. The number of new jobs cellular agriculture will create is unknown, but government policy may assist in the transfer of skills.10 Job retraining programs and financial support to farmers who want to transition to cell-cultured meat production could ease the transfer.3,13 The theory that technology creates jobs by freeing up resources for deployment elsewhere in the economy has been in some ways undermined, as the employment system and government bodies often fail to retrain workers or create jobs in new sectors. Training for job opportunities in cellular agriculture could be part of a broad range of policies to address the perception that technological innovation has resulted in stagnant employment and median income levels, even as overall productivity has increased drastically. The Industrial Revolution was an example of an employment boom resulting from technological advances, but current innovation like artificial intelligence is already proving to be a disruptive force that is threatening the livelihoods of workers in certain industries.55 Labor-saving technology is at odds with creating a direct substitution solution for displaced workers in the current market-based system in the US. The answer to this tricky problem could include increased redistribution, through a universal basic income, wage insurance regime, or a jobs guarantee. Additionally, a public jobs program could promote the arts or greening of the environment. It is unlikely that high-skilled molecular engineering jobs in the cell-cultured meat sector will replace all the jobs associated with animal agriculture. Some conventional farms could be repurposed for other products, such as the conversion of dairy farms to craft breweries.56 Other farms may still be needed to provide raw ingredients for cell-cultured products and could be incorporated into cell-cultured meat production by supplying crops for cell media.3,10 Further, partnerships like the RESPECT farm project between small-scale farmers and cell-cultured meat companies could forge mutual benefits by providing happy and healthy animals for tissue sampling for cell-cultured meat (https://www.respectfarms.com/?trk=public_post_share-update_update-text). More small business opportunities may arise with cellular agriculture.11 It is also possible that a combination of traditional agriculture and cellular agriculture may forge a partnership instead of a direct replacement.13

1.4.2 Occupational Physical Health

The occupational health implications of the cellular agriculture industry is also unknown but may be less hazardous than conventional meat production conditions.10 Injuries and illnesses related to the agricultural industry are higher than other industries, with one of the highest reported fatality rates in the US.57 It is also known that the current fishing industry suffers from social welfare concerns like forced labor (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/faf.12152). Many farmers acquire non-fatal injuries and are subjected to dangers from machinery, livestock, chemicals, noise, and physical stress, which are worsened by limited access to medical care. Workplace accidents at slaughterhouses occur at more than twice the rate of other manufacturing jobs with similar hazardous conditions. Tractor-related injuries are one of the most common risks, and one in four people who work in indoor confined animal operations suffer from respiratory illness.6,27,57 The confined workspaces and sanitation problems became especially apparent during COVID-19 when multiple meatpacking companies suffered from widespread workplace virus transmission.58 Poultry workers are 14 times more likely to suffer debilitating injuries from repetitive trauma than workers in all other private industries.59 Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 2014 reveals that repetitive motion injuries among beef and pork processing workers were nearly seven times that of other private industries. Additionally, nearly eight in every 10 workers in a standard processing plant in Maryland suffered from debilitating nerve damage in their hands.60 These figures do not account for injuries that go unreported, as third- party contractors and undocumented workers may remain silent to avoid losing their jobs.61 Many of the hazardous conditions described above are yet to be determined for commercialized cell-cultured meat. It is likely, however, that some degree of manufacturing-related injuries will occur in the operation of cell-cultured meat facilities. There is early evidence to show that there may be chemical exposure associated with cell-cultured meat production, such as from the neurotoxin, hexane, associated with soy production, and which is currently necessary for some cell-cultured meat production processes.10

1.4.3 Mental Health

In addition to physical risk, psychological hazards are evident in conventional farming. Mental health concerns among abattoir workers are common, owing to the conditions of the industry and the psychological impact of routine livestock slaughter. Studies show the violence required of kill-floor workers increases the probability of extra-institutional violence, similar to the psychological trauma experienced by police officers, prison guards, and military personnel.62 The anxiety and depression exhibited by some farmers has been described as akin to post- traumatic stress disorder.27 This stress and the additional agricultural economic decline have resulted in an increase in suicide among American farmers.10,27 Across industries that have the same type of routinized labor and have similarly high injury rates, slaughterhouse work uniquely increases violent and sex-related crime, such as intimate partner violence.63 Many of the stressors experienced by farmers extend further to their families and local communities.57 The mental health implications for workers in commercial cellular agriculture have yet to be determined, but it may be assumed that transmission of violence would be reduced, if not eliminated, in production facilities absent of animal harm.

1.5 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The UN recognizes that human ingenuity and enterprise drives positive change in our society. Around the globe, more than two billion people still lack access to basic sanitation, electricity, and the internet. They do not have access to the modern technologies that connect people with information or the living standards conducive to revolutionary breakthroughs.64

1.5.1 Industry Cellular agriculture is an emerging industry with substantial partnerships (see Section 2.7, Partnerships to Achieve the Goals). A rise in the cell-cultured meat industry will likely result in an increase in white collar jobs (see Section 2.4.1, Employment) and could result in new industrial hubs like Silicon Valley in other areas of the country and worldwide. Most cell-cultured meat companies are in the US, but there are more than 100 cell-cultured companies in 30 countries spanning six continents as of 2021. The number of companies have rapidly increased by 185% since 2018, where there were just 35 companies in the space.65 In addition to the increase in the number of cell-cultured meat companies, there has been additional interest and funding from investors (see Section 2.7, Partnerships to Achieve the Goals). The focus of the cellular agriculture industry has expanded to include over 15 types of meat production and other animal products, such as eggs, dairy, leather, and collagen.66,67 Growth is occurring in niche business-to-business companies working to solve the main challenges of the field, such as replacing fetal bovine serum in cell media with a non-animal alternative. An important component to this new industry will be its regulation. Singapore was the first country to approve a regulatory process for cultivated meat. In the US, the FDA and USDA agreed to work jointly: the FDA will oversee the cell culturing process while the USDA will regulate the cell harvesting and cultured product labeling.10,66 More groundwork is needed, but some of the essential industrial components from the necessary corporate framework to physical factories have been formed and continue to grow.

1.5.2 Innovation and Biomedical Science

Cell-cultured meat technology has the potential to help both the cellular agriculture industry and biomedical technology. Historically, most of the technology that supports cellular agriculture was leveraged from biomedical research. With further advancements in cell-cultured meat production, cellular agriculture holds the potential to publish findings and create biotechnologies that also have implications for human health, including the ability to culture organ tissues or cells that can be used for transplants.69 Researchers at cell-cultured meat accelerators are carefully considering how their technology can develop dual-technologies for regenerative medicine. Cell-cultured meat and regenerative medicine share similar goals, such as creating 3D, structured steaks or organs respectively. Technologies, such as tissue engineering, 3D printing with cells, scaffold development, and general cell culturing methodologies, such as maintaining different cell lines, have potential overlap in both cell- cultured meat production and the biomedical field. These two fields may use similar technologies, but a key difference will be the focus on the cells’ taste and texture for cellular agriculture, whereas regenerative medicine requires cellular functionality.70 Innovations in cellular agriculture have revolutionary potential for both food and regenerative medicine, underlining the need for private and public entities to invest resources in cell-cultured meat.69

1.5.3 Infrastructure The increase in industry and cellular innovation may lead to increased urbanization (see Section 2.6, Reduced Inequality) and infrastructure related to cell-cultured meat. Many cellular 39 agriculture companies in the US are based near San Francisco, providing access to Silicon Valley’s infrastructure. A potential increase in urbanization and reduction in land needed for traditional agriculture could enable more infrastructure, such as transportation or housing projects. 71,72 Cell-cultured technologies may also expand upon the technology already in Silicon Valley and may lead to new infrastructure, such as the Cellular Agriculture Society’s vision for a Cell-cultured Meat Facility (CMF) Project. Project CMF is a blueprint for what future cell-cultured meat facilities could achieve if scaled successfully. Currently the CMF design is described for an urban setting, but different adaptations could enable a CMF to be expanded and customized for various communities.73 The commercialization strategy created by BlueNalu, a cell-cultured seafood company, predicts that a 4,600 square meter (150,000 square foot) food production facility would enable 8 million kilos (18 million pounds) of cell-cultured seafood to be produced annually.66 A 300,000 liter bioreactor is estimated to provide enough meat production capacity to feed 75,000 people according to one computational model.74 As noted earlier, some of the current meat production infrastructure might also provide crossover use for cell-cultured meat, which could allow for infrastructure in rural areas to be repurposed for cellular agriculture. As cities expand to greater scale, this promotes higher rates of invention, new patents, and employment in creative enterprise, likely owing to greater social opportunity and the concentration of human capital.75 In general, urbanization is linked to improved sanitation, safe drinking water, and access to electricity and better nutrition.47 Urbanization for cellular agriculture, however, may benefit more developed areas with the technological infrastructure already in place notably more than those cities and towns without existing resources. Nevertheless, cell-cultured meat’s potential urbanization effects may also bring the world closer to the UN’s Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure goals for the world’s poorest people.

1.6 Reduced Inequality

Inequality represents a failure of our global economic system to give everyone the chance to reach their full potential. The UN maintains that 40 % of global income is distributed among only the world's richest 10 %.76 Unless accompanied by a strong public policy framework that ensures equitable access and distribution, technologies such as cell-cultured meat could accelerate global inequality by reorienting conventional farm incomes to the corporations that most successfully scale up the technology.

Cellular agriculture is predicted to impact urban and rural communities differently. If cell- cultured meat is produced in cities, urban areas may benefit from increased meat availability and health benefits as well as economic advantages from being a source of the technology. As noted earlier, rural regions could benefit from reduced climate pollution caused by conventional farming but may suffer from job and community loss related to the cell-cultured meat industry displacing local agriculture (also see Sections 2.3.3, Pollution and 2.4.1, Employment).3,10 The disparity between urban and rural areas may also be extended to the development and wealth divisions globally. Cellular agriculture could increase economic and political power imbalance and allow developed countries to gain more power.10,77 Investments from large meat companies have been helpful in accelerating cell-cultured meat research and development (R&D) and might assist in public consumer trust of cell-cultured products, but a monopoly of the technology by big companies could result in increased Western geopolitical power that disadvantages the developing world.3

Alternatively, a united goal to advance the potential benefits of cellular agriculture may provide opportunities for collaborations and a unified mission. Advances in the infrastructure surrounding cell-cultured meat may enable increased accessibility for rural communities. Also, projects such as producing meat for astronauts in outer space may accelerate the technology needed to create cell-cultured meat in remote areas on earth. This potential widespread sharing, democratization, of cellular agriculture could reduce the concern of equal distribution of the technology.14,50,78 In the long term, cell-cultured protein could also contribute substantially to climate change mitigation. There is evidence that climate change disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries; therefore, technologies that combat climate change are also technologies that can fight inequality in this way. As the UN has described, climate change presents a “vicious cycle” for disadvantaged communities by leading to more exposure to climate hazards, more susceptibility to climate change-induced damage, and more difficulty recovering from the negative effects caused by climate change. Human inequality related to climate change is both an international and domestic problem. Climate change results in lower income populations suffering from reduced resources, such as access to food and water, and natural disasters. The risk of climate hazard exposure is greater for lower income populations partly due to their geographical location, as neighborhoods are often located in dangerous areas that are vulnerable to floods and erosion, and through occupational exposure. Because of these inequalities, disadvantaged communities are more likely to be exposed to natural disasters or workplace health risks, leading to loss of an already limited income and less ability for financial recovery. This cycle of disadvantage can be seen on both local and global scales.79 If cell- cultured meat production can be designed to be environmentally friendly, then cellular agriculture may help reduce both climate change and the related worldwide social inequalities.

1.7 Partnerships to Achieve the Goals

Interest from investors in cell-cultured meats has spiked from about US $80 million in 2019 to US $366 million in 2020.66,68 In 2021, the investment is expected to exceed two billion US dollars into cellular agriculture with funding supporting both acellular products, such as cell- cultured whey protein dairy products, and cell-cultured meats.80,81 From 2016-2019, over half of the investments in cellular agriculture companies came from venture capitalists. Many investors are US-based and are also members of the GlassWall Syndicate, a group of venture capitalists, foundations, trusts, non-profits, and investors seeking to advance animal-free products that will also benefit people’s health.66

Conventional meat companies have begun to recognize shifting consumer preferences and the resource constraints of traditional meat production. Reinventing themselves as “protein” companies, food giants that have invested substantial funds in plant-based and cell-cultured meat include Kroger, Kellogg’s, Nestle, Nissin, Hormel, Perdue, and Smithfield (more are provided in the examples box).67,82 Additionally, many fast food restaurant chains including Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s, Del Taco, Pizza Hut, Qdoba, and Carl’s Jr., have begun mainstreaming plant-based meat options on their menus, as early as 2018.83 If cell-cultured meat reaches an affordable scale, there is reason to believe these restaurants will likely add these products to their menus, too.

Examples of conventional meat company investments in cellular agriculture

Meat Company

Tyson Foods

Cargill PHW-Gruppe Toriyama Bell Foods JBS

Cellular Agriculture Investment

Future Meat Technologies Upside Foods

Upside Foods SuperMeat Eat Just, Inc (JUST) Mosa Meats BioTech Foods

These major corporate partners and investors pose both benefits and risks for cell- cultured meat startups conducting R&D. These partnerships provide cell-cultured meat entrepreneurs with valuable scientific resources and market insights, not just financial assistance. Billionaire philanthropists Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Li Ka-Shing, Sergey Brin, and Tom Steyer all hold stakes in cell-cultured meat companies, giving technology celebrity power, which raises cell-cultured meat’s profile with popular media and in the minds of future consumers.84,85

Conventional meat companies, however, could possess biases and invest in alternative proteins only as an insurance policy against discoveries that could help the technology scale. Beyond Meat, a plant-based meat company that launched its initial public offering in 2019, serves as a potential example (see example box).

Tyson Foods and Beyond Meat Example

Prior to the IPO in 2019, Tyson sold its 6.5% ownership stake in Beyond Meat because of growing tension between the two companies. Beyond Meat likely believed Tyson was using inside information from board meetings to launch its own plant-based meats independent of Beyond Meat, demonstrating the potential for strain to develop between conventional meat companies and alternative protein companies.86

In addition to this potential conflict of interest, many traditional meat companies maintain close ties to lobbying organizations such as the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the National Pork Producers Council. These groups have pushed for legal barriers for plant-based and cell-cultured meat, including FDA standards for identity regulations that could have barred cell-cultured and plant-based meats from using the term “meat.” One example of a conventional meat company and cellular agriculture company working together, however, is the joint letter the NAMI and Upside Foods wrote to the White House to request equal USDA regulation for cell-cultured meats.87 Lastly, leaving this research to the private sector may pressure CEOs to put the concerns of investors over the long-term interests of the field, as they dedicate time and resources to creating samples for investors without first achieving scale.

The current lack of cell-cultured meat commercialization underscores the need for government-funded R&D for the field. Nobel-Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz compared the returns of government-supported and private R&D in 1999, finding that “primarily because of knowledge spillovers, profit-maximizing firms invest less than the socially optimal level of R&D. This disparity in the market creates the opportunity for governments to help mitigate the underinvestment problem.”88

According to the Good Food Institute (GFI), a nonprofit accelerator for alternative proteins, global markets have expended about US $366 million in cell-cultured meat in 2020 and about US $114 million in cell-cultured seafood as of the first half of 2021.66,68,89 New Harvest, another US-based nonprofit, also supplies some financial support for research related to cellular agriculture in academia and enables research that might not otherwise have sufficient funding to be performed.90 Government-funded research could be possible if the USDA prioritizes grants to cell-cultured and plant-based meat researchers through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the mechanism by which the USDA funded the Tufts University award, and small business grants. Governments around the world could benefit from funding open-access research that private companies can adapt to specific cell-cultured meat product lines in the future. The European Union Commission, Singapore, India, Japan, and local governments in Australia and Belgium have already provided financial support for cellular agriculture companies in their countries.67 The US also awarded its first government grant to University of California, Davis through the National Science Foundation in 2020, and was quickly followed by the USDA- funded establishment of a National Institute for Cellular Agriculture at Tufts University in 2021.91,92 Cell-cultured meat could become commercially viable if a broad cross-section of scientists is resourced to study scaling barriers, as has begun with increasing numbers of business-to-business companies. Attention and assistance from governments in advancing cellular agriculture, such as financial incentives for the creation of cost-effective cell mediums, currently one of the largest cost barriers to the technology’s commercial viability, could accelerate progress in the field.93 Cellular agriculture would greatly benefit from government support and could result in public benefits for the world’s least fortunate people, global ecosystems, and the animals exploited in conventional animal agriculture. Diversity in investors through different avenues and with different backgrounds will facilitate cell-cultured meat innovation. Private investors and venture capitalists play an important role, but strategic government and large company investors will also be important to propel the field.

Much more work is needed for cellular agriculture products to reach mass commercialization, but the downstream opportunities for its incorporation into the food supply chain could provide some relief to current and future problems faced by humanity. Cell-cultured meat offers an opportunity to improve six UN SDGs associated with human well-being. Food security may be strengthened through additional food production, expanded distribution, enhanced utilization with nutritional fortifications, and improved stability with better food safety against natural disasters and food-borne illnesses. Good health and well-being can benefit from cell-cultured meat through less antibiotic use during food production and minimized risk of zoonotic disease. Environmental goals, such as decreased pollution and toxic bioaccumulation in meat, will likely also be impacted by cell-cultured meat and could benefit consumers. Cellular agriculture could develop to become an industry that provides new jobs and safer work environments compared to conventional meat production. In addition to new employment opportunities within a new industry, cell-cultured meat can facilitate innovation and supporting infrastructure and offers many possibilities for different partnerships and collaborations across industries. This societal transition from conventional meat towards cell-cultured meat, however, may come at a cost with a loss of jobs associated with the current meat industry and a shift to white collar workers. The spread of cellular agriculture and risk of industrial monopolies, however, will also depend on the development of partnerships associated with cell-cultured meat distribution. Equal distribution will be important for enabling the potential benefits of cellular agriculture to be shared across all communities, not only those in urban and wealthier areas. Cell-cultured meat holds promise to improve different aspects of human well-being, but only time will tell whether these speculative benefits can become reality.

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Here are quotes reflecting the current views of conventional agriculture farmers, producers, or input providers on the development of cellular and cultured animal products:

Concerns About Sustainability and Displacement "Farmers have every right to be concerned, whether it’s about the authenticity of cultivated meats or their own livelihoods. Automation and the uber-expansion of factory farming have increasingly squeezed out small-scale operations. Many skeptics view lab-grown meat as a kind of Frankenstein-ing of food—an 'unnatural' practice." – "It's Alive! The Debate Over Lab-Grown Chicken," Modern Farmer, 2023, p. 2【85†source】.

Economic Threat to Traditional Farming "The idea that one day agriculture—natural agriculture, land-based agriculture—could be replaced by artificial food is quite difficult for us to accept." – "It's Alive! The Debate Over Lab-Grown Chicken," Modern Farmer, 2023, p. 2【85†source】.

Marketing and Labeling Issues "Farmers across Colorado that I spoke with emphasized that labeling will be vital in letting consumers choose. 'If they label it as a ribeye or a beef steak or chicken nuggets, that’s just not true. It needs to be labeled as a cell-cultured or a cell-based product, and I think the public needs to know that,' said Mike Camblin, a Colorado rancher." – "Colorado ranchers on how lab meat could impact the agriculture industry," 2023, p. 1【78†source】.

Openness to Diversification "Some farmers expressed curiosity about supplying ingredients for the technology or even hosting production units on their farms. 'Farmers were really engaged in the practical possibilities,' said Professor Tom MacMillan." – "Lab-raised meat ‘not the enemy,’ say farmers," BBC, 2024, p. 2【81†source】.

Cultural and Social Resistance "For us, food comes from the work of farmers, and we don’t think that these companies developing these products will stop at just two or three percent of the market." – "How a livestock industry lobbying campaign is turning Europe against lab-grown meat," Unearthed, 2024, p. 3【82†source】.

A Need for Clear Policies "Dairy farmers are particularly concerned about policy and regulatory frameworks that ensure a just transition to new food systems while safeguarding traditional farming livelihoods." – "Opinion: Cow's Milk Without the Cow," Modern Farmer, 2022, p. 3【77†source】.

Potential for Collaboration "Farmers like Dom Morris are investigating selling by-products like rape meal to the cultured meat industry, turning waste into a source of income. 'We’re thinking about producing it here, on our farm, in our old Victorian farm buildings,' he said." – "Lab-raised meat ‘not the enemy,’ say farmers," BBC, 2024, p. 4【81†source】.

These excerpts illustrate a mix of skepticism, concern, and curiosity from conventional agriculture stakeholders as they grapple with the implications of cellular agriculture developments. Let me know if you need further assistance!

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I will search again in the provided documents to ensure a more comprehensive list of quotes about conventional agriculture stakeholders’ views on cellular and cultured animal products. Please hold on.

Here are 20 additional quotes from the documents reflecting the views of conventional agriculture stakeholders on cellular agriculture developments:

Concerns About Livelihoods "Farmers won’t know how to move their business from livestock to fermented or cultivated meat. To fundamentally change their business would take a huge amount of investment and knowledge." – Amplifying Farmers Voices Report, p. 18【92:2†source】.

Cultural Barriers "There’s a cultural barrier to that too – farmers wouldn’t necessarily see that as farming." – Amplifying Farmers Voices Report, p. 18【92:2†source】.

Environmental Benefits Questioned "Some farmers claim that cultured meat may actually be worse for the environment than the real thing." – It's Alive! The Debate Over Lab-Grown Chicken, p. 2【92:0†source】.

Skepticism Among Consumers "They were concerned about how it was presented to consumers … about how it was labeled or could be labeled." – It's Alive! The Debate Over Lab-Grown Chicken, p. 2【92:0†source】.

Opportunities for Input Providers "Traditional agricultural crops such as barley, soy, and wheat may create additional market opportunities for farmers growing those crops for cultured meat production." – fsufs-05-624270, p. 4【92:5†source】.

Diversification Options "Farmers are exploring selling by-products like rape meal to the cultured meat industry, turning waste into a source of income." – Lab-raised Meat 'Not the Enemy', p. 4【92:4†source】.

Economic Concerns "It doesn’t even make sense to me why someone would want to eat that. For us as humans to think that we can make a product better than God can is interesting." – Colorado Ranchers on Lab Meat, p. 1【92:7†source】.

Policy Impacts on Dairy Farmers "Just transition policies for cellular agriculture could encourage farmers to transition into animal-free dairy production through infrastructure transition grants." – Opinion: Cow's Milk Without the Cow, p. 3【92:17†source】.

Resistance to Disruption "The backlash is being driven by a coalition of countries and agricultural lobbies against lab-grown meat, viewing it as a threat to natural food production." – How a Livestock Industry Campaign Is Turning Europe Against Lab-Grown Meat, p. 3【92:14†source】.

Potential for Integration "Some farmers are willing to adapt, seeing cultivated meat as a complementary product that can diversify their operations." – Lab-Grown Meat Hits Farms, p. 2【92:18†source】.

Consumer Education Needed "Farmers emphasize the importance of clear labeling to ensure consumers can make informed decisions." – Colorado Ranchers on Lab Meat, p. 2【92:7†source】.

Challenges in Policy Acceptance "Europe's novel food regulations are not fit for purpose when it comes to cell-based products." – How a Livestock Industry Campaign Is Turning Europe Against Lab-Grown Meat, p. 4【92:15†source】.

Sustainability Skepticism "There are uncertainties in whether lab-grown meat can achieve the touted environmental benefits, with some studies questioning its carbon footprint." – How a Livestock Industry Campaign Is Turning Europe Against Lab-Grown Meat, p. 2【92:14†source】.

Perception of Industrial Scale "Farmers feel that industrial-scale cultured meat production risks sidelining small-scale traditional farming." – Lab-raised Meat 'Not the Enemy', p. 3【92:4†source】.

Hope for Hybrid Models "A hybrid approach, integrating cellular agriculture within traditional farming, could provide balanced opportunities." – Amplifying Farmers Voices Report, p. 18【92:2†source】.

Policy Responses to Protect Farmers "Many states are banning lab-grown meat to protect traditional agriculture and ensure consumer safety." – Lab-Grown Meat Isn't on Store Shelves Yet, p. 2【92:13†source】.

Calls for Consumer Choice "Letting consumers have their choice in the marketplace has not been a priority for some elected officials." – Lab-Grown Meat Isn't on Store Shelves Yet, p. 3【92:13†source】.

Potential for Infrastructure Reuse "Decommissioned barns could be used for fungi agriculture, demonstrating farmers' adaptability." – Amplifying Farmers Voices Report, p. 16【92:2†source】.

Concerns Over Market Share "Farmers believe these companies won’t stop at just a small market share, potentially displacing agriculture as we know it." – It's Alive! The Debate Over Lab-Grown Chicken, p. 2【92:0†source】.

Farmers' Role in Transition "The shift to cellular agriculture must ensure farmers' involvement and provide pathways for sustainable transitions." – Opinion: Cow's Milk Without the Cow, p. 4【92:17†source】.

These quotes collectively capture a broad spectrum of opinions, from skepticism and resistance to cautious optimism and exploration of potential opportunities. Let me know if further refinement is needed!

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