By shifting to clean meat, we can reduce animal suffering, limit greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, and mitigate the risks of zoonotic diseases.
It paves the way for a more sustainable and compassionate future.
Clean meat is not just a trend or a niche market. It has the potential to become the norm, eventually replacing conventional meat in our grocery stores and restaurants.
The demand for meat is projected to continue rising, but our current methods of production are simply not sustainable. Clean meat offers a viable solution to feeding a growing global population without further straining our planet’s resources.
Clean meat has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce and consume protein, addressing many of the environmental, ethical, and public health concerns associated with traditional animal agriculture.
Imagine a world where meat is produced without the need for raising and slaughtering animals—a world where meat is clean, sustainable, and cruelty-free.
Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World
by Paul Shapiro
Paul Shapiro gives you a front-row seat for the wild story of the race to create and commercialize cleaner, safer, sustainable meat—real meat—without the animals. From the entrepreneurial visionaries to the scientists’ workshops to the big business boardrooms—Shapiro details that quest for clean meat and other animal products and examines the debate raging around it.
Since the dawn of Homo sapiens some quarter million years ago, animals have satiated our species’ desire for meat. But with a growing global population and demand for meat, eggs, dairy, leather, and more, raising such massive numbers of farm animals is woefully inefficient and takes an enormous toll on the planet, public health, and certainly the animals themselves.
But what if we could have our meat and eat it, too? The next great scientific revolution is underway—discovering new ways to create enough food for the world’s ever-growing, ever-hungry population.
Enter clean meat—real, actual meat grown (or brewed!) from animal cells—as well as other clean foods that ditch animal cells altogether and are simply built from the molecule up. Also called lab-grown meat, cultured meat, or cell-based meat, this race promises promise to bring about another domestication. Whereas our ancestors domesticated wild animals into livestock, today we’re beginning to domesticate their cells, leaving the animals out of the equation. From one single cell of a cow, you could feed an entire village. And the story of this coming “second domestication” is anything but tame.
**
Description
In “Clean Meat,” Paul Shapiro explores the revolutionary paradigm shift in food production that may very well shape the future of our planet. With the demand for meat projected to double by 2050, traditional animal agriculture practices are simply not sustainable. Shapiro takes us on a captivating journey into the world of lab-grown, or “clean” meat, where science and innovation intersect. Filled with intriguing insights, compelling narratives, and thought-provoking arguments, this book compels us to question our current practices and consider the potential benefits of clean meat for human health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. Whether you’re a skeptic or fascinated by the future possibilities of food, “Clean Meat” promises an eye-opening read that challenges the status quo in the quest for a more ethical and sustainable food system.
Chapter 1
Overview
In a world where the demand for meat continues to rise exponentially, concerns over its environmental impact, ethical implications, and the health risks associated with consuming animal products have become impossible to ignore. As our population steadily increases and resources become scarcer, it is clear that our current methods of meat production are simply unsustainable. But what if there was a way to produce meat that eliminates these issues altogether while still satisfying our most carnivorous cravings?
Enter “Clean Meat” by Paul Shapiro, a groundbreaking book that explores the revolutionary concept of lab-grown meat or cultured meat. Through a meticulous examination of this burgeoning industry, Shapiro offers a comprehensive analysis of the tangible benefits and immense potential that clean meat holds for our planet and its inhabitants.
Imagine a world where meat is no longer synonymous with deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Picture a future where factory farms, notorious for their inhumane treatment of animals and their contribution to antibiotic resistance, become obsolete. Sounds too good to be true? Perhaps not.
Shapiro opens our eyes to the incredible advancements made in cellular agriculture, revealing how scientists are working tirelessly to replicate the process of traditional meat production without the need for traditional animal agriculture. By taking a small sample of cells from a living animal, researchers can cultivate and multiply these cells into lab-grown muscle tissue. The result? Meat that is both indistinguishable from conventionally produced meat in taste and texture, and completely cruelty-free.
To fully appreciate the implications of clean meat, it is crucial to understand the scale of the environmental crisis we face due to conventional meat production. Shapiro delves into the staggering statistics surrounding global meat consumption, highlighting how industrialized animal agriculture is one of the leading contributors to global warming, water scarcity, and deforestation. By synthesizing meat outside of a living animal, clean meat has the potential to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, alleviate pressure on dwindling water supplies, and halt the destruction of precious ecosystems.
Furthermore, Shapiro examines the ethical considerations that have plagued the meat industry for decades. He extensively discusses the horrendous conditions animals endure in factory farms and the moral dilemmas that come with mass slaughtering millions of sentient beings annually. Clean meat offers an ethical alternative that not only eliminates animal suffering but also provides a viable solution to address the ever-growing demand for meat. It allows consumers to indulge in their favorite dishes without the moral baggage that currently accompanies their consumption.
Intrigued? The opening section provides merely a glimpse into the thought-provoking exploration of clean meat that awaits in the summary of Paul Shapiro’s groundbreaking book. By delving deeper into the intricacies of cellular agriculture, the potential challenges and benefits it offers, and the societal implications of a world where clean meat is the norm, Shapiro challenges readers to question their preconceived notions about meat and examine the future of food production through a new lens. Get ready to be inspired, informed, and compelled to be part of a revolutionary movement that promises to reshape our relationship with food and pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable future.
We will now explore the top three crucial concepts from this book in the upcoming text.
1. Clean meat, also known as cultured meat, has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing more sustainable and ethical alternatives to traditional animal agriculture.
2. Clean meat can address urgent global challenges such as climate change, food security, and animal welfare by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using fewer resources, and eliminating the need for raising and slaughtering animals.
3. The development and adoption of clean meat technology require collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers, policymakers, and traditional meat producers to create a future where clean meat is affordable, accessible, and widely accepted.
Chapter 2
Clean meat, also known as cultured meat, has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing more sustainable and ethical alternatives to traditional animal agriculture.
Clean meat, also known as cultured meat, has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing more sustainable and ethical alternatives to traditional animal agriculture. Paul Shapiro’s book, Clean Meat, delves into this concept and explains why it has the potential to disrupt the food industry as we know it.
One of the key takeaways from Clean Meat is the environmental impact of traditional animal agriculture compared to clean meat production. Shapiro highlights the fact that traditional animal agriculture is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water pollution. Cows, in particular, are responsible for significant methane emissions, which have a greater warming potential than carbon dioxide. The production of clean meat, however, requires significantly fewer resources and produces no methane emissions, making it a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative.
To illustrate this point further, let’s delve into the specific environmental benefits of clean meat production. Traditional animal agriculture requires vast amounts of land for grazing and growing feed crops. This leads to deforestation as forests are cleared to make way for farmland. In contrast, clean meat production takes place in a lab, requiring no land for grazing or feed crops. This eliminates the need for deforestation and preserves natural habitats and biodiversity.
Furthermore, clean meat production requires far less water compared to traditional animal agriculture. Raising livestock for meat production involves the consumption of large volumes of water for drinking and irrigation. Additionally, the production of feed crops requires substantial amounts of water as well. On the other hand, clean meat production only requires a small fraction of the water used in traditional agriculture. The water used is mainly for nutrient solutions to help the cells grow and multiply in culture. By adopting clean meat production, we can significantly reduce water consumption, helping to alleviate water scarcity issues and conserve this precious resource.
In addition to the environmental benefits, Shapiro also addresses the ethical concerns associated with traditional animal agriculture. He highlights the confinement and mistreatment of animals in factory farm settings, where animals are often raised in cramped conditions and subjected to cruel practices. This has prompted widespread public concerns regarding animal welfare.
Clean meat offers a solution to these ethical concerns by eliminating the need to raise animals for slaughter. Instead, clean meat is produced by cultivating animal cells in a lab. This means that animals are not subjected to the same level of suffering and cruelty as in traditional farming practices. By bypassing the need for animal farming altogether, clean meat offers a more humane and compassionate approach to meat production.
To illustrate the ethical benefits further, let’s consider the conditions that animals are subjected to in factory farms. In traditional animal agriculture, animals are often kept in crowded and unsanitary conditions, causing immense physical and psychological stress. They are confined to small spaces, unable to engage in natural behaviors, and experience constant discomfort. Clean meat eliminates the need for these inhumane practices, offering animals a life free from suffering.
Clean Meat emphasizes that clean meat has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing a more sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional animal agriculture. By addressing environmental concerns, reducing the need for animal farming, and offering a solution to ethical concerns regarding animal welfare, clean meat represents a game-changing innovation. It has the power to transform our current food system, making it more sustainable, compassionate, and aligned with our evolving values as a society. As we continue to advance in scientific research and technology, clean meat holds immense promise as a viable and scalable solution to meet the demands of a growing global population while protecting our planet and the welfare of animals.
Chapter 3
Clean meat can address urgent global challenges such as climate change, food security, and animal welfare by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using fewer resources, and eliminating the need for raising and slaughtering animals.
Clean Meat explores how clean meat has the potential to address urgent global challenges such as climate change, food security, and animal welfare. One of the most critical challenges that clean meat can tackle is climate change, which is a looming threat to our planet. Traditional animal agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, which are a leading cause of global warming. These emissions occur due to activities such as deforestation for animal feed crops, methane release from cattle digestion, and the energy-intensive processes involved in raising and slaughtering animals.
Clean meat, on the other hand, offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative. Paul Shapiro highlights a study conducted by researchers at Oxford University, which provides compelling evidence of clean meat’s potential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study compared the environmental impacts of conventional meat production with cultured meat production. The findings revealed that clean meat has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 96%. This reduction is attributed to the more efficient processes involved in producing clean meat, which require fewer resources and generate significantly fewer emissions.
Furthermore, the study also discovered that clean meat production utilizes 99% less land and 82-96% less water compared to traditional meat production. This is a crucial insight when considering the growing concerns of food security. The global population is rapidly increasing and with it, the demand for protein. Traditional animal agriculture is simply unsustainable in the long run, as it necessitates vast amounts of land, water, and feed. By contrast, clean meat offers a solution to this problem. With its significantly reduced resource requirements, it can help ensure food security for a growing population without putting additional strain on our already limited resources.
In addition to addressing climate change and food security, clean meat also offers a groundbreaking solution to improve animal welfare. The traditional animal agriculture industry is rife with inhumane practices, from overcrowded and confined living conditions to the routine use of antibiotics. The need to raise and slaughter animals for meat production has significant ethical implications. Clean meat, however, eliminates the need for these practices altogether. By producing meat directly from animal cells, clean meat bypasses the need for raising and slaughtering animals. This has the potential to revolutionize the way we view and treat animals in the food industry, mitigating animal welfare concerns and promoting more compassionate practices.
In summary, Clean Meat convincingly argues that clean meat has the potential to address urgent global challenges such as climate change, food security, and animal welfare. …
Chapter 4
The development and adoption of clean meat technology require collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers, policymakers, and traditional meat producers to create a future where clean meat is affordable, accessible, and widely accepted.
Clean Meat by Paul Shapiro emphasizes the critical role of collaboration between various stakeholders in the successful development and adoption of clean meat technology. The book argues that scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers, policymakers, and traditional meat producers must work together to create a future where clean meat is not only accessible but also affordable and widely accepted.
In the context of clean meat production, collaboration with traditional meat producers is particularly important. Memphis Meats, a leading company in the clean meat industry, serves as an excellent example of how collaboration can be beneficial. The company has actively partnered with traditional meat producers and has even secured investments from major players like Tyson Foods and Cargill. This collaboration is essential for the scaling and commercialization of clean meat technology. By working together, clean meat companies and traditional meat producers can share their expertise, leverage existing infrastructure, and overcome regulatory challenges.
Clean Meat also highlights the significant role of policymakers in facilitating the development and adoption of clean meat. The establishment of supportive regulatory frameworks is crucial to ensure the safety and proper labeling of clean meat products. Additionally, policymakers need to address any potential concerns related to the interests of traditional meat producers. By creating a supportive environment that encourages investment and innovation in clean meat technology, policymakers can play a vital role in shaping the future of the industry.
Another crucial aspect of clean meat adoption is consumer acceptance. The book argues that consumers are increasingly interested in sustainable and ethical food choices, and clean meat aligns with these values. However, for clean meat to appeal to a wider audience, it needs to be affordable and accessible. Collaboration with retailers, chefs, and others in the food industry is necessary to ensure that clean meat products are made available to consumers at competitive prices and in various forms.
To further illustrate the significance of collaboration, Clean Meat provides additional examples of successful partnerships in the clean meat industry. For instance, New Age Meats, a San Francisco-based startup, has collaborated with chefs to develop clean meat products that replicate traditional meat flavors and textures. This collaboration allows the company to tap into the expertise of culinary professionals and ensure that their clean meat products meet consumers’ taste preferences.
Ultimately, Clean Meat emphasizes that collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers, policymakers, and traditional meat producers is essential for the advancement and widespread adoption of clean meat technology. Only through collective efforts can a future be created where clean meat is affordable, accessible, and widely accepted. …
Chapter 5
Clean Meat Review
After reading the key takeaways of the book “Clean Meat” by Paul Shapiro, there are several actions we can incorporate into our daily lives to contribute to the future of food and sustainable living.
Firstly, a significant step we can take is to reduce our consumption of conventional meat and switch to clean meat alternatives. Clean meat, also known as cultured meat or lab-grown meat, is produced through cell cultures rather than by raising and slaughtering animals. By choosing clean meat options, we reduce the demand for traditional livestock farming, which is associated with deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and animal cruelty. We can start by researching and incorporating clean meat products into our diets, such as burgers, sausages, or nuggets, which are becoming increasingly available in the market.
Additionally, we can make more informed choices when it comes to purchasing meat and other animal products. By opting for organic, free-range, or grass-fed options, we support regenerative agricultural practices that prioritize animal welfare and environmental sustainability. It is crucial to learn about the labels and certifications related to meat production, ensuring that the products we purchase align with our values and objectives of supporting cleaner and more ethical food systems.
Furthermore, incorporating more plant-based meals into our daily lives can have a significant positive impact. Plant-based diets have been shown to reduce the overall environmental footprint, promote animal welfare, and offer health benefits. We can start by exploring and experimenting with various plant-based recipes, using ingredients such as legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Making small changes, such as incorporating Meatless Mondays or having more plant-based lunches, can gradually reduce our reliance on conventional meat and optimize our health.
Supporting and advocating for clean meat research and development is another essential action we can take. By staying informed about the latest advancements and breakthroughs in clean meat technology, we can actively engage in discussions, share knowledge, and promote the benefits of this innovative approach. This can be done through participating in local food movements, attending webinars or conferences, or supporting organizations involved in clean meat research.
Moreover, reducing food waste is crucial in achieving a more sustainable food system. Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and wasteful use of resources. By planning our meals, being mindful of portion sizes, and properly storing food, we can minimize waste. Additionally, composting organic waste can help contribute to soil health and minimize the environmental impact of food waste.
Lastly, educating ourselves and others about the benefits of clean meat and sustainable food practices is vital. By sharing our knowledge and experiences, we can inspire others to make more conscious choices and collectively create a demand for cleaner and more ethical food options. This can be done through engaging in conversations with friends and family, utilizing social media platforms, or even hosting community events to raise awareness about sustainable food choices.
In conclusion, incorporating the key takeaways from “Clean Meat” into our daily lives can significantly contribute to building a more sustainable and ethical food system. By incorporating clean meat alternatives, making informed choices, embracing plant-based diets, supporting research and development, minimizing food waste, and educating ourselves and others, we can play an active role in shaping the future of food.
Paul Shapiro’s book Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World explores the fascinating — and potentially planet-saving — world of cultured meat.
While the notion of “cultured meat” or “lab-grown” meat may sound odd to many, Shapiro’s book makes the case for why this new industry is among our best hopes for, quite literally, saving the world. He notes, “Our species truly is at a crossroads. It’s not hard to imagine the global instability that could ensue when we have billions more people on the planet, including billions more who expect to eat meat regularly. We just don’t have the resources to satiate that demand without destroying our planet and inflicting an enormity of suffering on animals, both domesticated and wild, in the process.”
As a decades-long vegan and the founder of Compassion Over Killing, Shapiro, who has also served as a vice president for the Humane Society of the United States, knows firsthand what’s at stake, and in Clean Meat he takes us behind the scenes of those who are about to change the world for the better.
As Yuval Noah Harari notes in the book’s foreword, “The world’s animals are not the wildlife we think of when we think of animals.” Rather, most animals that exist on the planet are bred for our consumption. For example: There are forty thousand lions in the world to one billion domesticated pigs, fifty million penguins to fifty billion chickens—and for these animals, life is horrific: “Judged by the amount of suffering it causes, industrial farming of animals is arguably one of the worst crimes in history.”
Cultured meat is the answer not only to the problem of animal suffering but to the issue of greenhouse gases produced by animal agriculture (responsible for more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined); the massive water consumption required (“you’d save more water skipping one family chicken dinner than by skipping six months of showers”); and the destruction of rainforests to raise animals (“animal feed is the leading cause of rainforest deforestation, essentially killing the lungs of our planet”). In Clean Meat, Shapiro writes about start-up pioneers who envision “a world in which we can have our meat and eat it, too: where we can enjoy abundant amounts of meat and other animal products without all the environmental, animal welfare, and public health costs.”
Shapiro details the fascinating science behind cultured meat as well as shows us the history of meat consumption in the U.S. and other countries, and why it’s becoming unsustainable.The science of clean meat is explained in both technical and layman’s terms, which makes the industry’s concepts accessible to all readers — and the sections outlining the technology are remarkable, showing us how real animal products such as meat and leather are being produced from microscopic animal cells, and even from yeast, bacteria, or algae.
The book also demystifies many of our perceptions of cultured meat (one major point being that clean meat is not as wild an idea as we think because nearly all the food we currently eat is scientifically engineered, from packaged foods such as protein bars to vegetables and fruits such as seedless watermelon). In addition, the very term “clean meat” reflects the improved food safety of these products; whereas meat from animals raised on farms contains antibiotics, hormones, fecal matter, and diseases such as avian flu, cultured meat, which is produced in a completely sterile environment, will be far safer to eat than the meat being produced today. “Imagine choosing between an egg white that might have salmonella and one you know doesn’t,” says Arturo Elizondo of Clara Foods. “Or milk with pus versus milk without pus, which all cow’s milk has. Which would you choose?”
Perhaps most surprising is that the concept of cultured meat is not as new as it seems; as far back as 1931, Winston Churchill wrote of “the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing” — and even he was not the first: “As early as 1894 … French chemistry professor Pierre-Eugène-Marcellin Berthelot claimed that by the year 2000, humans would dine on meat grown in a lab rather than from slaughtered animals.” Shapiro outlines our history of attempting to improve the way we eat, from hunting and foraging to culturing such foods as beer and yogurt, and how technology has brought us to where we are today. In the pages of Clean Meat, we meet scientists, idealists, and businesspeople, all working toward bringing this science to the mainstream. Having met representatives from many of the companies in this emerging field — among them Memphis Meats, Modern Meadow, Hampton Creek, Mosa Meat, Finless Foods, SuperMeat, Future Meat Technologies, Perfect Day, Clara Foods, Bolt Threads, VitroLabs, Spiber, Geltor, and others — Shapiro notes, “Interestingly, for the most part they don’t consider one another rivals as much as they do friendly competitors, all working toward the same goal.”
As with any major disruption in our social, cultural, and economic lives, clean meat will have a tremendous impact on everything from jobs to food to animal welfare, and in the end, it will likely succeed if it improves the lives of humans. As Shapiro points out, much of animal protection is accidental — whaling only stopped in the mid-nineteenth century because kerosene was discovered to be a better and more affordable alternative to whale oil; horses were replaced with cars only thanks to Henry Ford’s innovation, not animal advocates (though wonderful advocates did exist, they were not the reason Americans exchanged horses for cars).
So there is reason for hope for clean meat, especially “given that mainstream meat consumers (i.e., most people in our society) rarely think twice about buying meat from animals who’ve been raised in unsanitary and inhumane conditions … it’s difficult to imagine most of us having a problem with clean meat that (aside from being safer, eco-friendlier, and more humane) is pretty much the same meat that we’re used to eating.”
The biggest question of all — how does it taste? — will ultimately be answered by consumers themselves. As you’ll read in Clean Meat, the reviews so far are quite good. Shapiro was invited to try several foods in process, from “steak chips” to cultured foie gras to clean duck. A vegan for more than two decades, he writes, “I had little ethical concern about eating the [cultured] meat, but it still felt bizarre to be on the precipice of ingesting animal flesh.” He reports that the taste of the products he sampled was authentic; the duck “was exactly how I remembered duck tasting from my youth.”
Clean Meat should be read by anyone who cares about the planet, but most of all by those who currently eat and wear animals the way these products are made today. This book provides a detailed, well-rounded examination of a new industry that highlights the challenges — and the incredible possibilities — of feeding and clothing us all in an increasingly populated and demanding world.
“I’m convinced that when we look back in thirty years on today, how we raise and slaughter billions of animals to make our hamburgers and handbags, we’ll see this as being wasteful, inhumane, and indeed crazy,” Andras Forgacs of Modern Meadow tells Shapiro. “We need to move past just killing animals as a resource to something more civilized and evolved. Perhaps we’re ready for something literally and figuratively more cultured.”
Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World
Paul Shapiro gives you a front-row seat for the wild story of the race to create and commercialize cleaner, safer, sustainable meat—real meat—without the animals. From the entrepreneurial visionaries to the scientists’ workshops to the big business boardrooms—Shapiro details that quest for clean meat and other animal products and examines the debate raging around it.
Since the dawn of Homo sapiens some quarter million years ago, animals have satiated our species’ desire for meat. But with a growing global population and demand for meat, eggs, dairy, leather, and more, raising such massive numbers of farm animals is woefully inefficient and takes an enormous toll on the planet, public health, and certainly the animals themselves.
But what if we could have our meat and eat it, too? The next great scientific revolution is underway—discovering new ways to create enough food for the world’s ever-growing, ever-hungry population.
Enter clean meat—real, actual meat grown (or brewed!) from animal cells—as well as other clean foods that ditch animal cells altogether and are simply built from the molecule up. Also called lab-grown meat, cultured meat, or cell-based meat, this race promises promise to bring about another domestication. Whereas our ancestors domesticated wild animals into livestock, today we’re beginning to domesticate their cells, leaving the animals out of the equation. From one single cell of a cow, you could feed an entire village. And the story of this coming “second domestication” is anything but tame.
**
Description
In “Clean Meat,” Paul Shapiro explores the revolutionary paradigm shift in food production that may very well shape the future of our planet. With the demand for meat projected to double by 2050, traditional animal agriculture practices are simply not sustainable. Shapiro takes us on a captivating journey into the world of lab-grown, or “clean” meat, where science and innovation intersect. Filled with intriguing insights, compelling narratives, and thought-provoking arguments, this book compels us to question our current practices and consider the potential benefits of clean meat for human health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. Whether you’re a skeptic or fascinated by the future possibilities of food, “Clean Meat” promises an eye-opening read that challenges the status quo in the quest for a more ethical and sustainable food system.
Chapter 1
Overview
In a world where the demand for meat continues to rise exponentially, concerns over its environmental impact, ethical implications, and the health risks associated with consuming animal products have become impossible to ignore. As our population steadily increases and resources become scarcer, it is clear that our current methods of meat production are simply unsustainable. But what if there was a way to produce meat that eliminates these issues altogether while still satisfying our most carnivorous cravings?
Enter “Clean Meat” by Paul Shapiro, a groundbreaking book that explores the revolutionary concept of lab-grown meat or cultured meat. Through a meticulous examination of this burgeoning industry, Shapiro offers a comprehensive analysis of the tangible benefits and immense potential that clean meat holds for our planet and its inhabitants.
Imagine a world where meat is no longer synonymous with deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Picture a future where factory farms, notorious for their inhumane treatment of animals and their contribution to antibiotic resistance, become obsolete. Sounds too good to be true? Perhaps not.
Shapiro opens our eyes to the incredible advancements made in cellular agriculture, revealing how scientists are working tirelessly to replicate the process of traditional meat production without the need for traditional animal agriculture. By taking a small sample of cells from a living animal, researchers can cultivate and multiply these cells into lab-grown muscle tissue. The result? Meat that is both indistinguishable from conventionally produced meat in taste and texture, and completely cruelty-free.
To fully appreciate the implications of clean meat, it is crucial to understand the scale of the environmental crisis we face due to conventional meat production. Shapiro delves into the staggering statistics surrounding global meat consumption, highlighting how industrialized animal agriculture is one of the leading contributors to global warming, water scarcity, and deforestation. By synthesizing meat outside of a living animal, clean meat has the potential to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, alleviate pressure on dwindling water supplies, and halt the destruction of precious ecosystems.
Furthermore, Shapiro examines the ethical considerations that have plagued the meat industry for decades. He extensively discusses the horrendous conditions animals endure in factory farms and the moral dilemmas that come with mass slaughtering millions of sentient beings annually. Clean meat offers an ethical alternative that not only eliminates animal suffering but also provides a viable solution to address the ever-growing demand for meat. It allows consumers to indulge in their favorite dishes without the moral baggage that currently accompanies their consumption.
Intrigued? The opening section provides merely a glimpse into the thought-provoking exploration of clean meat that awaits in the summary of Paul Shapiro’s groundbreaking book. By delving deeper into the intricacies of cellular agriculture, the potential challenges and benefits it offers, and the societal implications of a world where clean meat is the norm, Shapiro challenges readers to question their preconceived notions about meat and examine the future of food production through a new lens. Get ready to be inspired, informed, and compelled to be part of a revolutionary movement that promises to reshape our relationship with food and pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable future.
We will now explore the top three crucial concepts from this book in the upcoming text.
1. Clean meat, also known as cultured meat, has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing more sustainable and ethical alternatives to traditional animal agriculture.
2. Clean meat can address urgent global challenges such as climate change, food security, and animal welfare by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using fewer resources, and eliminating the need for raising and slaughtering animals.
3. The development and adoption of clean meat technology require collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers, policymakers, and traditional meat producers to create a future where clean meat is affordable, accessible, and widely accepted.
Chapter 2
Clean meat, also known as cultured meat, has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing more sustainable and ethical alternatives to traditional animal agriculture.
Clean meat, also known as cultured meat, has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing more sustainable and ethical alternatives to traditional animal agriculture. Paul Shapiro’s book, Clean Meat, delves into this concept and explains why it has the potential to disrupt the food industry as we know it.
One of the key takeaways from Clean Meat is the environmental impact of traditional animal agriculture compared to clean meat production. Shapiro highlights the fact that traditional animal agriculture is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water pollution. Cows, in particular, are responsible for significant methane emissions, which have a greater warming potential than carbon dioxide. The production of clean meat, however, requires significantly fewer resources and produces no methane emissions, making it a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative.
To illustrate this point further, let’s delve into the specific environmental benefits of clean meat production. Traditional animal agriculture requires vast amounts of land for grazing and growing feed crops. This leads to deforestation as forests are cleared to make way for farmland. In contrast, clean meat production takes place in a lab, requiring no land for grazing or feed crops. This eliminates the need for deforestation and preserves natural habitats and biodiversity.
Furthermore, clean meat production requires far less water compared to traditional animal agriculture. Raising livestock for meat production involves the consumption of large volumes of water for drinking and irrigation. Additionally, the production of feed crops requires substantial amounts of water as well. On the other hand, clean meat production only requires a small fraction of the water used in traditional agriculture. The water used is mainly for nutrient solutions to help the cells grow and multiply in culture. By adopting clean meat production, we can significantly reduce water consumption, helping to alleviate water scarcity issues and conserve this precious resource.
In addition to the environmental benefits, Shapiro also addresses the ethical concerns associated with traditional animal agriculture. He highlights the confinement and mistreatment of animals in factory farm settings, where animals are often raised in cramped conditions and subjected to cruel practices. This has prompted widespread public concerns regarding animal welfare.
Clean meat offers a solution to these ethical concerns by eliminating the need to raise animals for slaughter. Instead, clean meat is produced by cultivating animal cells in a lab. This means that animals are not subjected to the same level of suffering and cruelty as in traditional farming practices. By bypassing the need for animal farming altogether, clean meat offers a more humane and compassionate approach to meat production.
To illustrate the ethical benefits further, let’s consider the conditions that animals are subjected to in factory farms. In traditional animal agriculture, animals are often kept in crowded and unsanitary conditions, causing immense physical and psychological stress. They are confined to small spaces, unable to engage in natural behaviors, and experience constant discomfort. Clean meat eliminates the need for these inhumane practices, offering animals a life free from suffering.
Clean Meat emphasizes that clean meat has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing a more sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional animal agriculture. By addressing environmental concerns, reducing the need for animal farming, and offering a solution to ethical concerns regarding animal welfare, clean meat represents a game-changing innovation. It has the power to transform our current food system, making it more sustainable, compassionate, and aligned with our evolving values as a society. As we continue to advance in scientific research and technology, clean meat holds immense promise as a viable and scalable solution to meet the demands of a growing global population while protecting our planet and the welfare of animals.
Chapter 3
Clean meat can address urgent global challenges such as climate change, food security, and animal welfare by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using fewer resources, and eliminating the need for raising and slaughtering animals.
Clean Meat explores how clean meat has the potential to address urgent global challenges such as climate change, food security, and animal welfare. One of the most critical challenges that clean meat can tackle is climate change, which is a looming threat to our planet. Traditional animal agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, which are a leading cause of global warming. These emissions occur due to activities such as deforestation for animal feed crops, methane release from cattle digestion, and the energy-intensive processes involved in raising and slaughtering animals.
Clean meat, on the other hand, offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative. Paul Shapiro highlights a study conducted by researchers at Oxford University, which provides compelling evidence of clean meat’s potential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study compared the environmental impacts of conventional meat production with cultured meat production. The findings revealed that clean meat has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 96%. This reduction is attributed to the more efficient processes involved in producing clean meat, which require fewer resources and generate significantly fewer emissions.
Furthermore, the study also discovered that clean meat production utilizes 99% less land and 82-96% less water compared to traditional meat production. This is a crucial insight when considering the growing concerns of food security. The global population is rapidly increasing and with it, the demand for protein. Traditional animal agriculture is simply unsustainable in the long run, as it necessitates vast amounts of land, water, and feed. By contrast, clean meat offers a solution to this problem. With its significantly reduced resource requirements, it can help ensure food security for a growing population without putting additional strain on our already limited resources.
In addition to addressing climate change and food security, clean meat also offers a groundbreaking solution to improve animal welfare. The traditional animal agriculture industry is rife with inhumane practices, from overcrowded and confined living conditions to the routine use of antibiotics. The need to raise and slaughter animals for meat production has significant ethical implications. Clean meat, however, eliminates the need for these practices altogether. By producing meat directly from animal cells, clean meat bypasses the need for raising and slaughtering animals. This has the potential to revolutionize the way we view and treat animals in the food industry, mitigating animal welfare concerns and promoting more compassionate practices.
In summary, Clean Meat convincingly argues that clean meat has the potential to address urgent global challenges such as climate change, food security, and animal welfare. …
Chapter 4
The development and adoption of clean meat technology require collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers, policymakers, and traditional meat producers to create a future where clean meat is affordable, accessible, and widely accepted.
Clean Meat by Paul Shapiro emphasizes the critical role of collaboration between various stakeholders in the successful development and adoption of clean meat technology. The book argues that scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers, policymakers, and traditional meat producers must work together to create a future where clean meat is not only accessible but also affordable and widely accepted.
In the context of clean meat production, collaboration with traditional meat producers is particularly important. Memphis Meats, a leading company in the clean meat industry, serves as an excellent example of how collaboration can be beneficial. The company has actively partnered with traditional meat producers and has even secured investments from major players like Tyson Foods and Cargill. This collaboration is essential for the scaling and commercialization of clean meat technology. By working together, clean meat companies and traditional meat producers can share their expertise, leverage existing infrastructure, and overcome regulatory challenges.
Clean Meat also highlights the significant role of policymakers in facilitating the development and adoption of clean meat. The establishment of supportive regulatory frameworks is crucial to ensure the safety and proper labeling of clean meat products. Additionally, policymakers need to address any potential concerns related to the interests of traditional meat producers. By creating a supportive environment that encourages investment and innovation in clean meat technology, policymakers can play a vital role in shaping the future of the industry.
Another crucial aspect of clean meat adoption is consumer acceptance. The book argues that consumers are increasingly interested in sustainable and ethical food choices, and clean meat aligns with these values. However, for clean meat to appeal to a wider audience, it needs to be affordable and accessible. Collaboration with retailers, chefs, and others in the food industry is necessary to ensure that clean meat products are made available to consumers at competitive prices and in various forms.
To further illustrate the significance of collaboration, Clean Meat provides additional examples of successful partnerships in the clean meat industry. For instance, New Age Meats, a San Francisco-based startup, has collaborated with chefs to develop clean meat products that replicate traditional meat flavors and textures. This collaboration allows the company to tap into the expertise of culinary professionals and ensure that their clean meat products meet consumers’ taste preferences.
Ultimately, Clean Meat emphasizes that collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers, policymakers, and traditional meat producers is essential for the advancement and widespread adoption of clean meat technology. Only through collective efforts can a future be created where clean meat is affordable, accessible, and widely accepted. …
Chapter 5
Clean Meat Review
After reading the key takeaways of the book “Clean Meat” by Paul Shapiro, there are several actions we can incorporate into our daily lives to contribute to the future of food and sustainable living.
Firstly, a significant step we can take is to reduce our consumption of conventional meat and switch to clean meat alternatives. Clean meat, also known as cultured meat or lab-grown meat, is produced through cell cultures rather than by raising and slaughtering animals. By choosing clean meat options, we reduce the demand for traditional livestock farming, which is associated with deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and animal cruelty. We can start by researching and incorporating clean meat products into our diets, such as burgers, sausages, or nuggets, which are becoming increasingly available in the market.
Additionally, we can make more informed choices when it comes to purchasing meat and other animal products. By opting for organic, free-range, or grass-fed options, we support regenerative agricultural practices that prioritize animal welfare and environmental sustainability. It is crucial to learn about the labels and certifications related to meat production, ensuring that the products we purchase align with our values and objectives of supporting cleaner and more ethical food systems.
Furthermore, incorporating more plant-based meals into our daily lives can have a significant positive impact. Plant-based diets have been shown to reduce the overall environmental footprint, promote animal welfare, and offer health benefits. We can start by exploring and experimenting with various plant-based recipes, using ingredients such as legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Making small changes, such as incorporating Meatless Mondays or having more plant-based lunches, can gradually reduce our reliance on conventional meat and optimize our health.
Supporting and advocating for clean meat research and development is another essential action we can take. By staying informed about the latest advancements and breakthroughs in clean meat technology, we can actively engage in discussions, share knowledge, and promote the benefits of this innovative approach. This can be done through participating in local food movements, attending webinars or conferences, or supporting organizations involved in clean meat research.
Moreover, reducing food waste is crucial in achieving a more sustainable food system. Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and wasteful use of resources. By planning our meals, being mindful of portion sizes, and properly storing food, we can minimize waste. Additionally, composting organic waste can help contribute to soil health and minimize the environmental impact of food waste.
Lastly, educating ourselves and others about the benefits of clean meat and sustainable food practices is vital. By sharing our knowledge and experiences, we can inspire others to make more conscious choices and collectively create a demand for cleaner and more ethical food options. This can be done through engaging in conversations with friends and family, utilizing social media platforms, or even hosting community events to raise awareness about sustainable food choices.
In conclusion, incorporating the key takeaways from “Clean Meat” into our daily lives can significantly contribute to building a more sustainable and ethical food system. By incorporating clean meat alternatives, making informed choices, embracing plant-based diets, supporting research and development, minimizing food waste, and educating ourselves and others, we can play an active role in shaping the future of food.
クリーンミート 培養肉が世界を変える
by ポール・シャピロ
成長ホルモン、農薬、大腸菌、食品添加物に汚染されておらず、一般の肉よりはるかに純粋な肉。培養技術で肉をつくれば、動物を飼育して殺すよりも、はるかに多くの資源を節減できるうえ、気候変動に与える影響もずっと少なくてすむ。そして、安全性も高い。2013年に世界初の培養ハンバーグがつくられ、その後もスタートアップが技術開発を進めている。
これはもはやSFではない。
シリコンバレー、ニューヨーク、オランダ、日本など世界の起業家たちがこのクレイジーな事業に大真面目に取り組み、先を見据えた投資家たちが資金を投入している。
フードテックの最前線に迫る!
ユヴァル・ノア・ハラリ(『サピエンス全史』著者)序文で推薦!
「希望にあふれる魅力的な本書で、著者は『細胞農業』と呼ばれる食品・衣料品の新たな生産方法の可能性を生き生きと描き出している」
エリック・シュミット(グーグル元CEO)絶賛!
「クリーンミートの革命をリードする科学者、起業家、活動家について学ぶには、説得力があり、前向きな本書を読むといい」
Book Review: Clean Meat by Paul Shapiro
by Midge Raymond
https://ecolitbooks.com/2018/01/03/book-review-clean-meat-by-paul-shapiro/
While the notion of “cultured meat” or “lab-grown” meat may sound odd to many, Shapiro’s book makes the case for why this new industry is among our best hopes for, quite literally, saving the world. He notes, “Our species truly is at a crossroads. It’s not hard to imagine the global instability that could ensue when we have billions more people on the planet, including billions more who expect to eat meat regularly. We just don’t have the resources to satiate that demand without destroying our planet and inflicting an enormity of suffering on animals, both domesticated and wild, in the process.”
As a decades-long vegan and the founder of Compassion Over Killing, Shapiro, who has also served as a vice president for the Humane Society of the United States, knows firsthand what’s at stake, and in Clean Meat he takes us behind the scenes of those who are about to change the world for the better.
As Yuval Noah Harari notes in the book’s foreword, “The world’s animals are not the wildlife we think of when we think of animals.” Rather, most animals that exist on the planet are bred for our consumption. For example: There are forty thousand lions in the world to one billion domesticated pigs, fifty million penguins to fifty billion chickens—and for these animals, life is horrific: “Judged by the amount of suffering it causes, industrial farming of animals is arguably one of the worst crimes in history.”
Cultured meat is the answer not only to the problem of animal suffering but to the issue of greenhouse gases produced by animal agriculture (responsible for more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined); the massive water consumption required (“you’d save more water skipping one family chicken dinner than by skipping six months of showers”); and the destruction of rainforests to raise animals (“animal feed is the leading cause of rainforest deforestation, essentially killing the lungs of our planet”). In Clean Meat, Shapiro writes about start-up pioneers who envision “a world in which we can have our meat and eat it, too: where we can enjoy abundant amounts of meat and other animal products without all the environmental, animal welfare, and public health costs.”
Shapiro details the fascinating science behind cultured meat as well as shows us the history of meat consumption in the U.S. and other countries, and why it’s becoming unsustainable.The science of clean meat is explained in both technical and layman’s terms, which makes the industry’s concepts accessible to all readers — and the sections outlining the technology are remarkable, showing us how real animal products such as meat and leather are being produced from microscopic animal cells, and even from yeast, bacteria, or algae.
The book also demystifies many of our perceptions of cultured meat (one major point being that clean meat is not as wild an idea as we think because nearly all the food we currently eat is scientifically engineered, from packaged foods such as protein bars to vegetables and fruits such as seedless watermelon). In addition, the very term “clean meat” reflects the improved food safety of these products; whereas meat from animals raised on farms contains antibiotics, hormones, fecal matter, and diseases such as avian flu, cultured meat, which is produced in a completely sterile environment, will be far safer to eat than the meat being produced today. “Imagine choosing between an egg white that might have salmonella and one you know doesn’t,” says Arturo Elizondo of Clara Foods. “Or milk with pus versus milk without pus, which all cow’s milk has. Which would you choose?”
Perhaps most surprising is that the concept of cultured meat is not as new as it seems; as far back as 1931, Winston Churchill wrote of “the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing” — and even he was not the first: “As early as 1894 … French chemistry professor Pierre-Eugène-Marcellin Berthelot claimed that by the year 2000, humans would dine on meat grown in a lab rather than from slaughtered animals.” Shapiro outlines our history of attempting to improve the way we eat, from hunting and foraging to culturing such foods as beer and yogurt, and how technology has brought us to where we are today. In the pages of Clean Meat, we meet scientists, idealists, and businesspeople, all working toward bringing this science to the mainstream. Having met representatives from many of the companies in this emerging field — among them Memphis Meats, Modern Meadow, Hampton Creek, Mosa Meat, Finless Foods, SuperMeat, Future Meat Technologies, Perfect Day, Clara Foods, Bolt Threads, VitroLabs, Spiber, Geltor, and others — Shapiro notes, “Interestingly, for the most part they don’t consider one another rivals as much as they do friendly competitors, all working toward the same goal.”
As with any major disruption in our social, cultural, and economic lives, clean meat will have a tremendous impact on everything from jobs to food to animal welfare, and in the end, it will likely succeed if it improves the lives of humans. As Shapiro points out, much of animal protection is accidental — whaling only stopped in the mid-nineteenth century because kerosene was discovered to be a better and more affordable alternative to whale oil; horses were replaced with cars only thanks to Henry Ford’s innovation, not animal advocates (though wonderful advocates did exist, they were not the reason Americans exchanged horses for cars).
So there is reason for hope for clean meat, especially “given that mainstream meat consumers (i.e., most people in our society) rarely think twice about buying meat from animals who’ve been raised in unsanitary and inhumane conditions … it’s difficult to imagine most of us having a problem with clean meat that (aside from being safer, eco-friendlier, and more humane) is pretty much the same meat that we’re used to eating.”
The biggest question of all — how does it taste? — will ultimately be answered by consumers themselves. As you’ll read in Clean Meat, the reviews so far are quite good. Shapiro was invited to try several foods in process, from “steak chips” to cultured foie gras to clean duck. A vegan for more than two decades, he writes, “I had little ethical concern about eating the [cultured] meat, but it still felt bizarre to be on the precipice of ingesting animal flesh.” He reports that the taste of the products he sampled was authentic; the duck “was exactly how I remembered duck tasting from my youth.”
Clean Meat should be read by anyone who cares about the planet, but most of all by those who currently eat and wear animals the way these products are made today. This book provides a detailed, well-rounded examination of a new industry that highlights the challenges — and the incredible possibilities — of feeding and clothing us all in an increasingly populated and demanding world.
“I’m convinced that when we look back in thirty years on today, how we raise and slaughter billions of animals to make our hamburgers and handbags, we’ll see this as being wasteful, inhumane, and indeed crazy,” Andras Forgacs of Modern Meadow tells Shapiro. “We need to move past just killing animals as a resource to something more civilized and evolved. Perhaps we’re ready for something literally and figuratively more cultured.”
2024年3月8日（金）
私たちは培養肉を食べるようになるのだろうか
今週の書物/
『Clean Meat』
Paul Shapiro著、Gallery Books、2018年刊
今週は、まず、代替肉と培養肉の定義から始めたいと思う。
代替肉とは、豆や小麦といった植物性原料から作られた「肉のような食べ物」のこと。精進料理で供される肉のようなものも、代替肉だ。日本の精進料理は仏教の伝来と共に中国から伝わってきたが、中国では仏教の伝来よりはるか前から野菜や雑穀などで肉や魚の味や食感を再現する「もどき料理」が発達していた。そういうこととは別に、最近になって、健康や環境問題の改善を理由に、代替肉を食べる人が増えてきている。私は代替肉を美味しいと思ったことはないが、かといって、いやだと思ったこともない。
一方、培養肉とは、動物の可食部の細胞を組織培養することによって得られる食用の肉のこと。私はなぜか、培養肉という言葉を聞くたびに嫌な気持になった。培養肉をクリーン・ミートと言い換えたところでその気持ちは変わらず、反感だけを抱き続けた。培養肉なんていやだ。食べたくない。本当の肉が食べたい。そう思ってきた。
ところが私の周りの人たちは、こぞって培養肉という考えに賛同している。ある人は、世界の深刻な食糧問題を解決するためには培養肉の開発を急ぐしかないと言い、またある人は、地球の環境問題を解決するためにはこれ以上家畜や家禽を増やすべきではないと言う。
なぜそのように思うのかと聞いてみると、それぞれの意見にはもっともなことが多い。考えてみれば、もっともでなければ、これほどまで培養肉への投資が過熱したりしないわけで、培養肉について少し考えてみるほうがいいと思うようになってきた。
培養肉の発想は古くからあるという。マルセラン・ベルテロというフランスの化学者は、1894年に「人類は2000年までに屠殺された動物の肉ではなく研究室で栽培された肉を食べるようになるだろう」と言ったそうだし、ウィンストン・チャーチルは1931年に「胸肉や手羽先を食べるために鶏を丸ごと育てるのは不条理でしかない」と書いている。
家畜や家禽の生産者は、近年、大きなトラブルを抱えるようになってきている。例えば牛については、狂牛病の記憶が強烈だ。西暦2000年前後の10年間で、殺処分された牛は数千万頭に達した。またニワトリや野鳥については、鳥インフルエンザのことがある。2022年だけで1億3100万羽以上の家禽が死んだり、殺処分を余儀なくされたりした。
環境問題の専門家たちからは、家畜や家禽の飼育によって環境負荷が増え続けていると指摘されているし、実際、畜産業界は地球温暖化を問題とする人たちから目の敵にされている。
でも落ち着いて考えてみれば、問題は牛や鶏や豚や羊に限ったわけではない。人間の都合で多くなってしまったのは、犬や猫などのペットも同じだ。もっと拡大して考えてみれば、麦や米が平野を覆いつくしたり、杉や檜が山を覆いつくしたり、桜や梅が観光地を不自然に彩ったりしている状態も、問題といえば問題だ。
人間がいいと思ってしてきたことが、結局は人間の将来を危うくしているのではないか。そう考えると、培養肉の登場も手放しで喜んではいられない。
で今週は、培養肉をポジティブに扱った本を読む。『Clean Meat』（Paul Shapiro著、Gallery Books、2018年刊）だ。「培養肉が開発され実用化されなければ、人類に明るい未来はない」と思わせるほど、培養肉をいいことだとする考え方に貫かれている。
著者はまず食糧問題について書く。その際のキーワードは「サステイナブル（持続可能な）」と「エシカル（倫理にかなった）」だ。現行の畜産では、放牧と飼料作物の栽培のために広大な土地が必要となるため、森林が伐採され破壊される。それに対して培養肉の生産は実験室や工場で行わるため、森林伐採の必要がなくなり、生きものの生息地と生物多様性が保護されるという。また、屠殺のために動物を飼育する必要がなくなるので、動物が監禁され虐待されることもなくなり、動物福祉に対する懸念がなくなる。つまり、倫理的問題がなくなるというのだ。
つぎに焦点は環境問題にあてられている。培養肉に移行することで、温室効果ガスの排出が削減され、資源の無駄づかいが減り、動物の飼育と屠殺が排除される。それが気候変動、食糧安全保障、動物福祉などの問題解決に大きく寄与するというのだ。その根拠となる数字が面白い。今の畜産が温室効果ガスの排出、森林破壊、水質汚染の主な原因であるというにわかには信じがたい「事実」が強調され、牛が少なくなれば、メタンの排出が大幅に減少するという。
最後に、実現可能かどうかについての論考が繰り広げられる。科学者・技術者、投資家・起業家、行政や政策立案に携わる人たち、食肉生産者、それに一般消費者が協力して培養肉の製造技術の開発と導入に取り組んでいけば、培養肉が手頃な価格で入手可能になり、社会に広く受け入れられてゆく。そんな明るい未来が描かれてゆく。
要は、どの部分も同じ。培養肉に移行すれば明るい未来が待っていて、移行しなければ問題はなにも解決されないということが、これでもかこれでもかと書かれる。「現行の畜産は悪」「培養肉は善」という論理の展開は、ヒトラーの「わが闘争（Mein Kampf）」にとてもよく似ている。物事の多面性には一切触れない。イエスかノーか、正しいか正しくないか。そんな単純な図式を提示することで、著者の意見はすべて正当化されてゆく。
培養肉を取り入れていくことを全面的に肯定するのではなく、客観的に、そして批判的に書いてくれれば、もう少し説得力のある本になったろうと思うと、残念な気もする。たとえば、オランダのスマート農業のことや中国のAI導入の事例を取り上げて、現行の農業や牧畜にも食糧問題や環境問題を解決する可能性があることを書くなどすれば、読者にもっと納得のいく説明が届けられたのかもしれない。
この本を読めば、少しは培養肉に対する考えが変わるのではないか。そう思って読んだ本だったが、前にも増して培養肉が嫌いになった。幸いなことに、培養肉がマーケットに並ぶようになるまでにはまだ相当の時間を要するということがわかってきた。つまり私は、培養肉を食さずにすむわけだ。
ところで、培養肉が市場に出てきたあとに、培養肉と本物の肉との関係はどのようなものになるのだろう。ジェネリック医薬品とブランド医薬品との関係と似たものになるのか、それとも、一般人向けの培養肉と富裕層向けの本物の肉というように、よりわかりやすい関係になるのだろうか。まさか、本物の肉が法律で規制され、アンダーグラウンドの商品となって流通するなどということになったりはしないだろうが。いずれにしても、培養肉については、あまりいい未来像は浮かんでこない。
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