Cultivated meat is a key component in boosting EU economic growth and tackling climate change
The European Commission must work hard to allay concerns expressed this week by EU agriculture ministers about cultivated meat to prevent the EU from missing out on the huge economic and environmental benefits of the new food technology.
“Cultivated meat offers a realistic chance of reducing the huge impact that conventional, intensive animal agriculture has on the climate and the environment, whilst at the same time birthing a new food sector that will secure farmers’ livelihoods, employment and a boost to the economies of the EU,” Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg International, said.
“We already have a robust regulatory procedure in place that will ensure that all cultivated foods that will appear on the EU market are safe so we do not need to reinvent the wheel. The European Commission must do its very best to reassure concerned Member States that our world-class regulations mean cultivated meat will be a win-win for the EU,” De Boo added.
De Boo’s comments come after the Agriculture Ministers of several Member States expressed concern at an EU ministerial meeting earlier this week that the approval process might not be fit for purpose to process the new products.
However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Novel Foods Regulation ensure that cultivated meat will be thoroughly assessed. Approvals have already been granted in other markets, including the US, Singapore and Israel, with more in the pipeline in the UK and Switzerland.
“We are in the thick of the challenge posed by climate change. Animal agriculture is responsible for a fifth of global greenhouse gasses and this needs to be urgently reduced. Transitioning to a more plant-based diet will greatly help this goal and cultivated meat will also support this goal, and give consumers more choice by allowing people to continue to include meat in their diets if they so desire,” De Boo added.
Economic benefits
Alternative proteins are expected to reach between 11% and 22% of the overall protein market by 2035 (1,2). Studies also have high confidence that a developing cultivated meat industry will create new employment opportunities and benefit food security, human health, and animals (3). If the EU takes a bold, innovation-forward approach, these baseline forecasts could be surpassed.
Footnotes
- https://www.bcg.com/publications/2021/the-benefits-of-plant-based-meats
- Oxford Smith School
- The expected impact of cultivated and plant-based meats on jobs: the views of experts from Brazil, the United States and Europe | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (nature.com)
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon or Jillian LaBruzzo at [email protected]
About ProVeg International
ProVeg International is a food awareness organization with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.
