QSR: Can Lab-Grown Meat Feed the World?

Scientists have been working to figure out an alternative means for meat, as the prospect of feeding a world population of 9 billions looms ahead. “Conventional agriculture is running out of options,” writes QSR. Now, companies such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, are being backed by some of the most influential business people, like Bill Gates and Twitter cofounders Evan Williams and Biz Stone.

Derived from animal cells, lab-grown meat lacks much of the contamination and associated health risks of conventional agriculture. It’s also more eco-friendly, emitting less greenhouse gas emissions, using less water and land and less energy to produce. Because of the sterile lab environment, antibiotics and growth-promoting hormones are also not needed.

Alternatively produced meats, however, are still far from becoming the norm. Many scientists project that it will take years before the meats are ready or affordable enough for the mass market.