New research from the University of California-Davis challenges claims that lab-grown meat is more sustainable than traditional beef. The study found that producing cell-cultured meat using current methods requires four to 25 times more energy than retail beef, raising concerns about its environmental impact.
The key issue is the use of pharmaceutical-grade growth media, which is resource-intensive. Lead researcher Derrick Risner stated that, unless the industry shifts to food-grade alternatives, lab-grown meat could be more environmentally harmful and expensive than conventional beef.
The study also found that the beef industry has made significant progress in reducing emissions. Cattle account for only 2% of total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Efficiency improvements have led to a 40% reduction in emissions per pound of beef over the past 50 years.
Despite these findings, researchers acknowledge that technological advancements could improve the sustainability of lab-grown meat. However, they caution that scaling up too quickly without proper transparency could mislead consumers.
The FDA and USDA currently regulate cell-cultured meat, and two companies—Good Meats and Upside Foods—are approved to produce and sell lab-grown chicken. Experts warn that greater oversight is needed to ensure the industry does not make misleading environmental claims.