THE FAKE MEAT NARRATIVE DOESN’T ADD UP

by Todd Wilkinson, NCBA President

Cell-cultured meat or, as I like to call it, “fake meat” is having a moment in the media again as a lab-grown chicken product is getting closer to restaurant menus and store shelves. The fact that I have to reference fake chicken in this column makes my stomach turn, but this is what we’re up against. These fake meat ventures receive significant investment up front and try to capitalize off of a narrative that they’re better than the real thing. We’ve seen fake meat products that sit on grocery store shelves untouched, like the Beyond Meat crap and companies that have stock prices that spike initially and then plummet, leaving investors high and dry. It’s all because fake meat companies can’t seem to grasp that their environmental arguments are as fake as their product and ultimately because consumers prefer real beef. The continued high demand for our real beef products proves it. The cell-cultured stuff is different than the fake meat we compare to dog food, but it’s still important to make sure we get ahead of the stories being spun by these fake meat ventures.

Cell cultured meat is grown in a lab from animal stem cells that are fed a mixture of vitamins, fats, sugars and oxygen. Sounds real appetizing, doesn’t it? The people in lab coats growing this stuff say it’s a scientific quest to feed the world, protect animals and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. These companies can certainly pursue this lab grown goop, but it must be labeled for what it is – a lab grown, cultured product. I think it’s important to poke holes in their story and, I’ll admit, I have fun doing it. A recent interview I did on this topic focuses on two things: correcting the sustainability and welfare falsehoods that these companies spread and reinforcing our policy position on the matter.

How many ranchers have brought that calf into the house or shop to protect them from bad weather? Farmers and ranchers go to great lengths to keep livestock comfortable and cared for. Tell me you can get that from something grown in a lab.

The sustainability story of our industry remains paramount in fighting false information. Cattle farmers and ranchers have been dedicated to environmental stewardship for generations. We are committed to continued improvement and innovation, and to producing high-quality beef for generations to come. Lab grown products are not environmentally superior to cattle, and if cattle are removed and replaced with this stuff, a number of ecosystem services will be lost. Cattle play a key role in maintaining healthy soils, sequestering carbon, preventing wildfire and preserving the habitats of hundreds of animals, insects and plants. Do we really want to take cattle off the land and have it turned into housing developments? I don’t think so.

Our policy position is to make sure this cell-cultured crap is clearly identified if it ever hits grocery store shelves or restaurant menus. We’re not afraid to compete with a new product, and I think this is hardly a competition when compared to real beef, but we want to make sure there’s a distinction. People have the right to expect truthful and accurate food product labels. The term “beef” should only be applicable to products derived from livestock raised through natural means by farmers and ranchers, not something that is artificially produced in a lab.