Yuval Noah Harari: ‘Cultured Meat’ Synthesized in Labs Is ‘Much More Ethical’ than Animal Husbandry

Yuval Noah Harari, historian, futurist, and World Economic Forum (WEF) adviser, described “cultured meat” synthesized in laboratories as more “ecological” and “ethical” than meat from animal husbandry and slaughter.

He made his remarks in a video interview with the International Institute of Management in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The WEF described “cultured meat” as a “sustainable” substitute to human consumption of animals in order to “save the planet” from “carbon emissions”:

The process of growing meat in a laboratory involves taking stem cells from a live animal and growing them in nutrient-rich conditions.

For example, a small biopsy of skeletal muscle is taken from a cow, from which the stem cells are isolated and grown in a bioreactor with cell culture media.

The cells are split into several cell types including muscle and fat cells. This biomass is then processed to form the edible final product.

Harari framed human consumption of animals as unsustainable. He said, “We can find ways to provide what people need in more ecological and sustainable ways. This is the best course forward. It’s not stopping development and it’s not ruining the ecosystem, [but] finding new ways to continue developing in a sustainable way, and it can be done.” – READ MORE