Lab-Grown Meat Poses Significant Threat to Farmers, Study Warns
Lab-Grown Meat Poses Significant Threat to Traditional Livestock Farming, Study Warns
UNITED KINGDOM – May 24, 2025 – A new UK-Norway study has concluded that the rise of lab-grown meat presents a substantial threat to traditional livestock farming, with beef, lamb, milk, and eggs identified as the products most vulnerable to losing market share. The findings suggest that consumer purchasing decisions will increasingly be driven by cost, as they perceive cultivated and conventional animal products as interchangeable.
According to Farming UK, researchers behind the study anticipate that the impact could be exacerbated by the introduction of carbon taxes. Such measures would likely make conventionally produced animal products more expensive, further tipping the balance in favour of lab-grown alternatives.
The study underscores an urgent need for governments and agricultural sectors worldwide to proactively prepare for profound shifts in the global protein market. These changes are expected to be driven by a combination of environmental concerns and economic pressures, pushing consumers towards more affordable and potentially more sustainable protein sources.
The prospect of lab-made meat and dairy becoming readily available to British consumers appears imminent, potentially within the next two years. This accelerated timeline is due to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) actively speeding up its approval process for these novel food products. The impending market entry of cultivated alternatives highlights the imperative for traditional livestock farming to adapt and innovate in the face of evolving consumer preferences and technological advancements.
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