Can We Grow Meat to Avoid Food Waste?

There are millions of animals being raised for food. Cows, pigs, chickens, and others are each an industry unto themselves, and their consumption is big business. Unfortunately, though, raising this many animals also puts a strain on the environment. The greenhouse gases from cow flatulence alone is huge, and the sheer amount of waste these animals create between when they’re born, and when they’re slaughtered, is astronomical. But what are we supposed to do? People have to eat, after all.

This is true, but what if we could literally grow our own meat? Not animals… just meat.

The startup company Memphis Meats, which recently ran a successful Indie Gogo campaign, thinks we can.

This company, which grew a clean meatball in a lab without raising any animals, has shown that it’s possible for us to use our scientific know-how in order to synthesize the food we need. Assuming this kind of meat production could be scaled-up to suit demand (which Memphis Meats clearly thinks can be done), it could change everything.

Meat could be made in the city, cutting down on our need to transport food. We wouldn’t need to spend as much time and resources raising, slaughtering, and disposing of animals when we harvest their meat. There would be significantly fewer greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and those concerned about animal welfare could enjoy their meat knowing that no living being was harmed in its creation.

And, if the cost is low enough, it’s possible that we could feed everyone in the world without worrying about the sheer amount of land and resources it would take to raise the herds and flocks necessary for that Herculean task.