11/10/2023
Intensive Farming
Is the end nigh?
A global food revolution
The appetite for cultivated meat is growing and progressive countries, such as Singapore, have already approved the product for sale to consumers. According to industry estimates7, by 2040 cultivated meat will make up 35% of global meat production, while its market size is set to climb to in excess of $200m over the next few years.
In fact, countries all over the world are beginning to wake up to the opportunity cultivated meat presents. In a recent five-year plan released by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the country included cultivated meats and other ‘future proteins’ as part of its blueprint for food security going forward. This strategic initiative could accelerate China's regulatory timeline for cultivated meat, drive more research and investment into the alternative protein industry and fuel even broader consumer acceptance of these products.
Consumer interest is also emerging. Research conducted by Ivy Farm, alongside industry expert Dr Chris Bryant, found that around two thirds of people in the UK would be open to trying cultivated meat and over half would buy it once the product is available. This is backed up by a recent study in the journal Foods8, which also indicates a high level of openness across the UK and US: over 80% of those surveyed were either highly or moderately likely to try cultivated meat given the opportunity. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) also recently produced a research report9 that cited ‘environmental or sustainability concerns’ as the most common reasons why consumers would try cultivated meat.