In vitro Meat. An Innovative Solution for Today's Meat Industry and its Social and Ethical Implications

Dossier / Travail , 2023 , 14 Pages , Note: 1,3

Sciences de l'Environnement

Our objective is to highlight the scientific study about in vitro meat production and its social and ethical implications. The article also underlines the environmental impacts of current meat production and provides insights into the visions and actors in this field.

The 2017 study "In vitro meat: a technical vision to solve the problems of today's meat production and consumption?" conducted by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, sheds light on an innovative method of meat production and its related social and ethical aspects. The study initially outlines the current state of research and explains the production of in vitro meat in a simplified way. Subsequently, it illustrates the negative environmental impacts of current meat consumption. The study also discusses animal welfare, which has been considerably compromised due to industrialization, as well as consumer behavior and its consequences for humans. These points are complemented by interviews with experts and stakeholders, both proponents and critics. Lastly, it introduces the visions and actors or start-ups in the field of in vitro meat. Topics like sustainability, animal welfare, veganism, and environmental protection are increasingly coming into focus, making this subject highly topical and relevant.

Table of contents

List of tables

1 Study selection

2 Summary 1
2.1 State of the research
2.2 Problems of industrial meat production
2.3 Effects of meat consumption on humans
2.4 Data collection and evaluation
2.5 Results of the study
2.6 Assessment of the study
2.7 Hypotheses
2.8 Possible follow-up questions

3 Reflection on the portfolio 4
3.1 Weakness compensation

4 Development of the follow-up study 5
4.1 Theoretical assumptions of the follow-up study
4.2 Hypotheses of the follow-up study
4.3 Research design of the follow-up study
4.4 Definition of the sample size
4.5 Data evaluation procedures
4.6 Conclusion

Literature

List of tables

Table 1: Hypotheses of the initial study

Table 2: Questionnaire of the follow-up study

Table 3: Parameters for sample size calculation

Table 4: Coding of the questionnaire

Table 5: Example of a significance test

1 Study selection

The 2017 study "In vitro meat: a technical vision to solve the problems of today's meat production and consumption?" addresses the social and ethical aspects of this innova­tion in meat production. It was conducted and published by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The study first presents the state of research and explains in a simplified way the pro­duction of in vitro meat. Subsequently, the negative effects on the environment caused by the current meat consumption are presented. Animal welfare, which has changed considerably for the worse due to industrialization, as well as consumer behavior and its consequences for humans are also discussed. This is followed by expert and stakeholder interviews with proponents and critics. To corroborate the results of the interviews, there will be a participation in a group of twelve participants and three experts. The presenta­tion of the visions and actors or start-ups in the field of in vitro meat will be done at the end of the study.

Sustainability, animal welfare, veganism and environmental protection - all these topics are increasingly becoming the focus of society. This makes the topic highly topical. I am neither vegetarian nor vegan, but I am open to new alternatives in the food sector, espe­cially for meat. I find the study interesting because it presents both a technical innovation and a possible alternative, possibly improvement, in the meat industry, as well as addres­sing the social and ethical aspects.

2 Summary

In the study "In vitro meat - A technical vision to solve the problems of today's meat production and consumption?" by Inge Bohm, Arianna Ferrari and Silvia Woll, in vitro meat is examined as a possible meat alternative for the future. In doing so, the study asks the following question, "Do we need in vitro meat?".

2.1 State of research

First, the term in vitro meat is explained and a simplified production process in four steps from beef or pork to burger is presented. This is followed by the state of research and a description of the challenges in producing in vitro meat. The production process requires animal stem cells, which are taken from the animals by muscle biopsy to grow muscle fibers from them with the help of proteins. This process takes place in a bioreactor where the stem cells are supplied with the nutrient medium, currently fetal calf serum.

2.2 Problems of industrial meat production

After introducing the topic, the study highlights the current problems of industrial meat production and consumption for the environment, animals and humans.

Due to the current form of meat production and the increasing consumption of meat wor­ldwide, the environment is increasingly burdened by negative effects, such as slash-and- burn clearing of tropical forests for the cultivation of animal feed or pasture, greenhouse gases, fertilizers and the associated pollutants.

But the ethical problems of the production of meat are neglected or also gladly suppres­sed by humans. Thereby the high meat production hits especially the animals, which suffer by the industrial breeding and killing.

2.3 Effects of meat consumption on humans

High meat consumption also has negative consequences for the human body. Studies show that there is a link between obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and car­diovascular disease and the consumption of meat, especially the so-called "red meat" (beef, pork, lamb, veal and goat) and these types of meat are also likely to promote cancer.

A chapter is devoted to each of these problems by presenting or discussing in vitro meat as a possible alternative solution.

2.4 Data collection and evaluation

After the presentation of the current state of research, the results of the guided interviews with twelve experts and stakeholders representing different areas of society are presented in the course of the actual study. The data from the interviews were qualita­tively recorded, processed and analyzed. In the study, the opinions of the interviewed participants on the topic of in-vitro meat are contrasted by proponents as well as critics. Thus, in vitro meat is seen as a transitional solution, but also as a catalyst that drives meat consumption even further.

In addition, a second qualitative study was conducted with citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 using a participation format. Ten German participants and a citizen jury con­sisting of three experts took part in a group discussion.

At the end of the study, various players from different countries (U.S.A., Japan, Nether­lands and Israel) who are researching and developing in vitro meat are presented. This is only to illustrate the extent to which work is being done on the new meat alternative.

2.5 Results of the study

Finally, both a summary of the results and an outlook are presented. The study conclu­des that in vitro meat could be offered as an interesting alternative to conventional meat. It could possibly reduce animal suffering, provided there is a plant-based alternative to fetal calf serum to supply the stem cells. As a result, the environment, which suffers considerably from the current form of meat production, could be spared. What effects the in vitro meat will have on humans remains to be seen. However, the researchers are specifically trying to eliminate the negative effects on humans caused by the consump­tion of normal meat. But the new supply could also increase meat consumption, as there is a risk of further alienation between humans and animals. There is also the potential risk of in vitro meat innovation becoming a monopoly.

At the moment, a technical solution for mass production is still missing. In addition, the culture medium (fetal calf serum) would have to be replaced by a non-animal protein source in order to avoid or at least reduce animal suffering in the first place. There is also the question of whether animals would now have to suffer in a different way due to the regular depletion of stem cells. These ethical, social and technical aspects need to be clarified and discussed further in the future. Thus, in vitro meat does not solve all the problems of current meat production, but it could be a sustainable, more animal-friendly and healthier alternative in the future.

2.6 Assessment of the study

The study "In vitro meat - A technical vision to solve the problems of today's meat pro­duction and consumption?" by Inge Bohm, Arianna Ferrari and Silvia Woll is well suited to get a first and deeper overview of the topic. The state of research is presented in an understandable way. In addition, the problems for the environment, animals and humans are described in detail. The interview of experts and stakeholders contrasts both propo­nents and critics. Although the technical implementation is explained, it is relatively brief. A more detailed description would have been interesting. However, a more fundamental knowledge of food production is probably necessary to be able to follow the manufac­turing process.

2.7 Hypotheses

The hypotheses are derived from the study and research questions.

Table 1: Hypotheses of the initial study

Illustrations are not included in the reading sample

Hypotheses from the initial study (In vitro meat - A technical vision to solve the problems of today's meat production and consumption?) | Own presentation

2.8 Possible follow-up questions

- What is the acceptance of in vitro meat among citizens between 18 - 25 years?
- How do vegetarians see the alternative?
- How do vegans:inside see the alternative?
- How do women and men view the alternative?
- How do conventional meat producers view in vitro meat?

Would they also produce the new meat or rather reject it? (if financial means and the necessary training / knowledge are available)

3 Reflection of the portfolio

In the initial study, two qualitative methods are used to answer the research questions. The weaknesses of these two methods are to be compensated with a quantitative follow­up study in order to create an additional gain.

3.1 Weakness compensation

The guided interview, which gives the participants a topic and a defined sequence, does not allow the interviewees to set their own relevance frame (cf. Frank, 2010, p. 120 ff. Hug & Poscheschnik, 2020, p. 132).. In the participation format with a focus group and a citizens' jury, the amount of speech is on average shorter per participant than to interviews and can rather be seen as confirming or supporting (cf. Hug & Poscheschnik, 2020, p. 139)..

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• Université: Fresenius University of Applied Sciences Hamburg
• Note: 1,3
• Année de publication: 2023
• Pages: 14
• N° de catalogue: V1375748
• ISBN (PDF): 9783346912664
• Langue: allemand
• mots-clé: meat, vegan, vegetarian, in vitro, vitro, alternative, cow, chicken, cultured meat