Study: Lab-grown meat’s promise for cutting climate warming depends on an energy revolution
A comparison of the greenhouse gases produced by lab-grown and farm-raised beef in the current energy system suggests that the benefits of reducing methane could be outweighed by increased CO2.
Over the long term, cultured meat production methods requiring large energy inputs could increase global warming more than some types of cattle farming if energy systems remain dependent on fossil fuels, according to what is said to be a first-of-its-kind study from the LEAP (Livestock, Environment and People) program at the Oxford Martin School, UK.
The study looked at how much the gases impact temperature rises and how long they persist in the atmosphere to understand the warming impact of lab-grown and farmed beef. New projections reveal that replacing cattle with cultured meat may not be a simple replacement of high-impact with low-impact. Research on better ways of producing cultured meat with less impact is a priority.