The Debate Over Lab-Grown Meat

On 1 May, Florida governor Ron DeSantis announced that the sale of cultured meat grown from animal stem cells in a laboratory has now been banned in his state. “While the World Economic Forum is telling the world to forgo meat consumption,” he explained, “Florida is increasing meat production, and encouraging residents to continue to consume and enjoy 100% real Florida beef.” John Fetterman, the junior senator for Pennsylvania and a Democrat, endorsed the move the following day. “[It p]ains me deeply to agree with Crash-and-Burn Ron, but I co-sign this. As a member of @SenateAgDems and as some dude who would never serve that slop to my kids, I stand with our American ranchers and farmers.”

Alabama, Arizona, and New Hampshire are also considering banning lab-grown meat in response to a host of concerns: that consuming it is bad for human health, that its availability will cause economic hardship by driving farmers out of business, that the promotion of lab-grown meat is part of an international plot, and that there’s something dystopian about the entire idea. In what follows, I will examine these objections one by one.

Health Concerns