Impacts of the development of cultured animal proteins on the sustainability of the agri-food sector in the European Union

Cultured meat (CM) is raising interest globally, including from multinational food companies, as an innovative technology to produce meat without farming animals. This completely different way of obtaining animal proteins is perceived as disruptive to the existing system. Even if the technology has entered the market overseas, or is about to do so, in the EU the debate is still high on the possible role CM may have as a food source and on its impact, in the long run, on the sustainability of the agri-food sector. 

This study reviews the state of the art of research related to the potential impact of CM development on environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability, highlighting important knowledge gaps. These gaps fuel polarised positions. Also, they affect the shaping of stakeholders’ opinions on CM and prevent policymakers from making informed decisions. 

Through consultations, this study outlines an opinion-based 2040 outlook on CM development and builds scenarios to 2050. Even if the outlook stemming from prevailing current positions is rather negative, scenarios allow for the consideration of how diverse policy orientations may influence the future of CM, from its total absence to its full integration into the EU agri-food sector.

Disclaimer

In this study, the focus is on cultured animal proteins. While acknowledging the existence of a terminology issue that needs to be addressed but that falls out of the scope of the study, this report refers to cultured animal protein products as ‘cultured meat’ (CM) without assuming that this terminology is appropriate and without giving it a negative or positive connotation.