Will We All Soon Eat Lab-Grown Meat?

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fearnhammm of AK 4:21AM November 24, 2009

I am ok with taking from plants, eventhough some people argue that we kill them also. It is just not the same as a sentient being, and therr is no proof thst plants feel pain.

isabella of AZ 8:57PM October 22, 2009

I am ok with taking from plants, eventhough some people argue that we kill them also. It is just not the same as a sentient being, and therr is no proof thst plants feel pain.

isabella of AZ 8:56PM October 22, 2009

I am ok with taking from plants, eventhough some people argue that we kill them also. It is just not the same as a sentient being, and therr is no proof thst plants feel pain.

isabella of AZ 8:56PM October 22, 2009

I am not a vegetarian , but I will not eat anything that has been killed, so I only eat fake meat, vegetables, and grains. If I am alive to see the transition from killing animals to growing them in a lab, I would happily go back to eating meat provided it is healthy. All that bothers me is killing. I am ok with taking/stealing from animals, but in return they are/will be humanely cared for: safer than they would be out in the wild. I hope I am alive to see the end of killing animals.

isabella of 8:46PM October 22, 2009

I think it will all come down to economics. If the lab grown meat is close to animal source meat in flavor/texture and significantly cheaper then somebody will buy it, and if it is healthier (less pathogens, no antibiotics, no mad cow) and more ecological (easily locally produced, less water, land and energy use) then it will quickly displace animal sources.
Most people who think lab meat is gross have no idea the unappetizing conditions the chicken, pigs and cattle are raised in, and they have never seen the everyday brutality of how meat is made.
As for the concerns about it being unnatural, we eat unnatural foods every day. Every beer, wine, bread, yogurt, sourcream and cheese has been a culturing product of bacteria and every mushroom is fungus, but if you ask the man on the street if he would eat something made by bacteria or fungus he would say "hell no".

Michaelc of FL 7:35PM April 17, 2009

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Aboutxcyqh 5:01PM December 27, 2008

I am a horticulturist, and have had the opportunity to travel around the world and eat some very interesting plants which could very good meat substitutes, Jack fruit is very much like crayfish ,if prepared properly. there is a very large mushroom from south africa which is the best steak I have ever had , thick ,juicy and very tender.they call it the beefsteak mushroom and it is the size of a small umbrella these are two examples of plant substitutes there are plenty more that can be used.I do believe that big business plays the role of god in our choices .lab grown meat will happen only if the big supermarkets and restaurant chains see a profit ,ethics the enviroment and the planets survival dont enter the equation.mans greed and desire for wealth are what dictate ,what we eat,how we eat where etc.More should be done to educate the worlds population to what our farming practices are doing to aid in the earths demise.I advocate permaculture but it also comes at a cost, its always a money thing!

steven walker 7:26AM April 29, 2008

Thanks for your comments. You both make a great point -- that much of the soy (not to mention much of the corn) our civilization grows is not used to feed people directly, but rather to feed animals. In fact, you speak to Bruce's point that pound for pound, far more food goes into livestock animals than comes out of them at the slaughterhouse. And Lisa, you're right that some of it could be ending up on my plate in another form, though I don't eat meat all that often.

Ben Harder of DC 8:05AM April 25, 2008

I'm vegetarian, but cannot stand PETA, and know many vegetarians and vegans who feel the same way. Don't assume we're all PETA members, many of us agree with omnivores that they're obnoxious publicity whores who use questionable tactics.
But I wanted to clarify your comment that soy grown in the Amazon is feeding "PETA members" - presumably vegetarians and vegans. Most of the soy grown in the world isn't turning into tofu, but is feeding animals being raised for their meat. So a lot more of it is ending up on your plate than you think. There are many sources of non-GMO soy in the US for us to eat without it passing through an animal first.

Lisa of CA 8:10PM April 24, 2008