A Mammoth of a Meatball

Last week, Vow, an Australian cultured meat company, made headlines by creating a meatball made of lab-grown mammoth meat. The meat was developed through a DNA sequence found in preserved mammoth protein, with African elephant genetics used to fill in the gaps. The meatball is currently a museum piece at NEMO in the Netherlands and is not for human consumption, however, visitors describe the smell as something similar to crocodile meat.  

Well if I can’t eat it, what’s the point?

The shocking and fantastical news that a mammoth meatball can exist was reason enough for Tim Noakesmith, a co-founder of the company. In an interview with the Associated Press, Noakesmith stated that he and his team sought to “get people excited about a new future”. The creators knew that the innovation would garner worldwide attention and internet virality and wanted to utilize the opportunity to start conversations about lab-grown meat and more sustainable options for food and agriculture.

But isn’t that kind of “clickbaity”?

Yes! It sure is, however, it also provides a really successful example of how pro-environment organizations and businesses can use shocking innovations, concepts, and headlines to further their objectives. While this tactic is definitely not new (as we discussed last week), the news surrounding the mammoth meatball is only misleading to those of us that are hungry for it.

Currently, animal-based agriculture for human consumption releases 15% of total greenhouse gas emissions (greater than all transportation emissions), and uses over twice as much land and far more water than other agricultural goods. The conversations people are now having over the “mammoth meatball” will raise awareness for alternatives and bolster support for fewer animals in our agriculture systems.

Upon a visit to Vow’s website, mammothmeatball.com, I encountered the tagline “let’s eat ourselves out of extinction”. The aesthetics and rhetoric throughout the website showcase the marketing genius at the core of this company and brand. Is digital marketing the clear future of environmental advocacy?

However, is cultured meat the solution or do we need better food systems?

Lab-grown meat and its potential benefits for the environment and sustainability certainly raise some valid points, but it's important to also consider the counter-argument that lab meat may not be the solution we're looking for.

There are concerns about the environmental impact of scaling up lab meat production. While it's true that factory farms are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems, there's no guarantee that lab-grown meat would be any better. Some studies suggest that mass production of lab meat could actually have even worse ecological impacts than livestock farming, due to the energy required.

The best solution for a sustainable food system may not come from a technological fix championed by corporations and investors. Instead, we need to focus on investing in “diverse, regional, sustainable agriculture” and supporting policies that promote regenerative agriculture and small-scale farming. This means fighting against the corporate powers that currently dominate our food system and pushing for political change at the state and federal levels.

In conclusion, while it's important to be critical and skeptical of new technologies, we shouldn't dismiss them outright. Who knows, lab-grown meat could be the solution to some of our most pressing environmental and ethical issues. And if not, at least we tried. As they say, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. So let's keep shooting for a more sustainable future, even if it means taking a chance on lab-grown meat.