Lab-Grown Meat: Promise and Progress for Animal Welfare

Cultivated meat — animal products grown from cells without slaughtering animals — represents potentially the most transformative technology for farm animal welfare since refrigeration. Understanding its progress and challenges is important for welfare advocates.

Key Facts

The first cultivated meat burger was produced in 2013 at a cost of over 300,000 US dollars; cost has fallen dramatically since
Singapore approved the first commercial sale of cultivated chicken in 2020
Major food companies including JBS, Cargill, and Tyson have invested in cultivated meat development
Key challenges include scaling bioreactor production, reducing growth medium costs, and regulatory approval across markets
Cultivated meat uses approximately 90% less land and significantly less water than conventional meat production

Welfare Considerations

If cultivated meat achieves cost parity with conventional animal products, it could eliminate the welfare harms of slaughter for hundreds of billions of animals annually. The technology is real and improving rapidly, though the timeline to widespread commercial availability remains uncertain. Welfare advocates who support cultivated meat technology contribute to one of the highest-leverage possible interventions for long-term reduction in farmed animal suffering. The transition will require navigating regulatory, cultural, and economic barriers alongside technical ones.

What You Can Do

Support policies that provide regulatory pathways for cultivated meat approval
Advocate for government research funding for cultivated meat technology development
Try cultivated meat products when they become available in your market
Donate to organizations accelerating cultivated meat technology and regulatory acceptance
Follow and share progress updates on cultivated meat to maintain public awareness and support