Perhaps lost in the current popularity of plant-based foods as an alternative to traditional proteins is the rapid evolution of lab-grown meats. These proteins are not vegetable-based facsimiles of burgers, bacon, or chicken, for example, but created and cultured from the cells of specific animals in a controlled environment, rather than harvesting the real thing.
B2B research firm Markets and Markets estimates the “cultured” meat industry will be worth $214 million by 2025, growing to $593 million by 2032—a 15.7% increase. Many companies in this segment are still in the latter stages of R&D while taking on new investors to grow their business, and as a result, lab-grown meat likely won’t be widely available until at least 2022 or later.