The Future of Food: McPlant, Molecular Farming, and DIY Steaks
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Chapter 1: The Rise of McPlant
In the weekly series "All Tomorrow's Kitchens," Future Human highlights advancements in food and agricultural technology that are steering humanity toward a more food-secure existence. A major topic this week is McDonald's initiative to launch a plant-based menu item named the McPlant. According to reports, the fast-food giant is gearing up to trial its meat-free burger next year, with a plant-based chicken option potentially on the horizon. However, there's some ambiguity regarding the burger's origin: while McDonald's international president Ian Borden claims it was developed "by McDonald's and for McDonald's," Beyond Meat, a leader in plant-based meats, asserts it collaborated on the creation.
Fast-food chains have started to include plant-based offerings, as evidenced by Burger King's Impossible Whopper. McDonald's foray into this segment is particularly noteworthy given its stature as the largest restaurant chain in the U.S. The potential for substantial demand is evident; for instance, Burger King's sales surged by 10% after launching the Impossible Whopper. The primary concern now is whether McDonald's suppliers can meet this demand, especially in light of Impossible Foods' withdrawal from the competition due to production limitations.
Section 1.1: The Promise of Molecular Farming
Molecular farming is being hailed as a promising sustainable method to produce meat alternatives. Currently, lab-grown meat, which consists of animal cells cultivated in a lab, is not feasible for large-scale consumption due to high costs. An innovative solution involves growing these animal cells within plants. Moolec Science is pioneering this approach by introducing animal genes into plants, thereby utilizing the more efficient plant-growing process to cultivate animal cells for meat substitutes. This method may sound unusual, but it mirrors techniques used in the production of plant-based vaccines. "We are leveraging the efficiency of plants using a very low-tech, non-tech approach," explained Moolec CEO Gastón Paladini. "This is farming."
Subsection 1.1.1: Vaccination for Food Workers
The Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted food workers, including many undocumented agricultural laborers and meatpacking employees who faced significant health risks. Reports indicate that these workers might be prioritized for Covid-19 vaccinations, as reviewed by Leah Douglas from the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN). Most state plans suggest that agricultural and food processing workers would be among the first to receive the vaccine. While there is consensus among labor advocates, the food sector, and public health officials, there are lingering trust issues: some workers fear being treated as test subjects for the new vaccine, while others worry that vaccination may replace the need for essential workplace protections.
Section 1.2: Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The food industry faces urgent pressure to minimize its greenhouse gas emissions as part of the global climate initiative aimed at limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. A recent study published in the journal Science posits that significant reductions in emissions are achievable if the food industry adopts various strategies. "It may involve a mix of behavioral nudges at grocery stores and overarching policies from governments," stated Michael Clark, PhD, from the University of Oxford. A Biden administration, which has pledged to aim for zero emissions in agriculture, could greatly benefit environmentally conscious farmers, contingent on Senate control.
Chapter 2: Grow Your Own Human Steak?
In an unconventional art project, creators are challenging perceptions of lab-grown meat through the concept of the Ouroboros Steak, which allows individuals to cultivate miniature "steaks" using their own cells. They argue that, technically, this does not constitute cannibalism. This provocative initiative critiques lab-grown meat, which is often touted as a sustainable and humane alternative, but critics highlight its reliance on fetal bovine serum, derived from calf fetuses. The Ouroboros Steak prototypes, currently showcased in London, are generated from cheek cells collected from a person's mouth and cultivated using expired, donated blood. This project is the brainchild of scientist and biohacker Andrew Pelling, industrial designer Grace Knight, and artist-researcher Orkan Telhan. "As the lab-grown meat industry rapidly evolves," said Pelling, "it is crucial to devise designs that reveal some of its inherent limitations to transcend the hype."
The video title is "Can Lab-Grown Steak be the Future of Meat?" which dives into the ongoing discussions surrounding the viability and ethics of lab-grown meat as a sustainable food source.