The livestock lobby is waging war on ‘lab-grown meat'

Klaus Mager

Here is a statement by a widely read and quoted author that deserves a closer look:

“The livestock lobby is waging war on ‘lab-grown meat’. This is why we can’t let them win (The Guardian George Monbiot )

I’ve come to see new fermentation approaches as the most important environmental techs ever developed: the only means I can see of reversing the expansion of one of the two most destructive industries on Earth, livestock farming.”

These are strong statements, but?what a number of pundits throw out as ‘solutions’ doesn’t meet the most rudimentary test of common sense engineering. Let’s take a look:

To calculate just the tonnage of meat from cattle and sheep only (highest environmental impact), we can use the estimated number of animals slaughtered in a year in the US and their average carcass weights (https://animalclock.org/ ):

Data:

• Cattle (including calves): 36,164,000 animals

Average weight per cattle: 800 pounds (carcass weight) x 60% meat

Tons?of meat from?cattle = 14,465,600 tons x 60% = 8,679,360 tons

• Sheep (including lambs): 7,499,000 animals

Average weight per sheep: 135 pounds (carcass weight) x 60% meat

Tons of meat from?sheep = 506,182 tons x 60% = 303,709 tons

Total?tonnage of meat for consumption?from?cattle?and?sheep = 8,983,069 tons

Now let’s calculate what it roughly takes to produce 100 tons of fermentation, asking the AI:

GPT

Producing 100 tons of meat substitutes through fermentation requires a specific scale of industrial setup, which includes space for fermentation tanks and downstream processing. The exact size of the factory can vary depending on the technology used, but here's a general outline:

Fermentation Facility Requirements

1. Fermentation Tanks: Large-scale fermentation tanks are needed, usually ranging from a few thousand liters to tens of thousands of liters. For producing 100 tons of protein per batch, several large tanks, each holding about 10,000 to 20,000 liters, would be required. The tanks need to be constructed from materials resistant to corrosion, such as stainless steel.
2. Production Space: The footprint for the production area should accommodate the fermentation tanks and additional equipment like bioreactors, pumps, and piping. This can be approximately 10,000 to 20,000 square feet, depending on the number of tanks and the layout.
3. Downstream Processing Area: After fermentation, the biomass needs to be processed to extract the protein, which involves separation, drying, and sometimes additional purification steps. This area would require space for centrifuges, filtration systems, dryers, and packaging lines. Another 5,000 to 10,000 square feet might be needed.
4. Utilities and Support Systems: Facilities for water treatment, waste management, HVAC systems for temperature control, and storage for raw materials (like sugars and nutrients for fermentation) are essential. These utilities could take up additional space and require specialized infrastructure.
5. Total Estimated Space: Combining all the elements, a factory producing 100 tons of fermented protein might need around 20,000 to 30,000 square feet of space. This includes room for expansion and allows for efficient workflow and safety regulations.

Considerations

• Scaling Flexibility: The design should allow for scalability to adjust production volumes as needed. Modular designs can facilitate easier expansion.
• Energy and Resource Efficiency: Efficient use of energy, water, and raw materials is crucial for both economic and environmental sustainability. Implementing sustainable practices can also enhance the facility's overall footprint.
• Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to food safety regulations, such as HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), is necessary to ensure the product is safe for consumption.

These estimates provide a general idea, but the actual requirements can vary based on specific fermentation technology, the type of microorganism used, and the precise processes employed. Each setup might require customization to optimize production efficiency and quality.

Summary:

While George Monbiot's enthusiasm for lab-grown and fermented meat as a way to counteract the environmental impact of livestock farming is understandable, it is crucial to approach such proposed solutions with a critical eye. Promoting these technologies as immediate answers may mislead the public and policymakers, diverting attention and resources from more feasible and impactful changes. Lab-grown meat, while promising, still faces significant technological, economic, and scalability hurdles. By presenting these futuristic solutions as silver bullets, we risk ignoring simpler, more immediate actions that can reduce our environmental footprint, such as shifting dietary patterns towards more plant-based foods and reducing overall meat consumption. Trusted journalists have a responsibility to ensure that the solutions they advocate are grounded in practical realities, as misleading the public can lead to misallocated investments and lost opportunities for real change. Practical steps like modifying our menus and recipes can have immediate and scalable impacts, aligning better with the urgency of addressing environmental challenges.