Articoli in Inglese

The global food system is currently responsible for nearly one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock farming being the primary contributor. As the world population surges toward ten billion by 2050, the demand for animal protein is projected to increase by 70%. Traditional agriculture simply cannot sustain this growth without causing catastrophic deforestation and water scarcity. This environmental crisis has spurred a scientific revolution in the field of cellular agriculture, specifically the development of cultivated or "lab-grown" meat.

Cultivated meat is produced by harvesting stem cells from a living animal and placing them in a nutrient-rich bioreactor, where they multiply and differentiate into muscle and fat tissue. The result is real meat, identical at a molecular level to traditional beef or chicken, but produced without slaughtering a single animal. Proponents argue that this technology could reduce land use by 99% and water consumption by 90% compared to conventional cattle ranching. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for antibiotics in livestock, which is a major driver of global antibiotic resistance in humans.

Despite the scientific promise, the industry faces significant hurdles before it can reach the average consumer's dinner plate. The current cost of production remains prohibitively high, though it has dropped drastically from the first $330,000 burger created in 2013. Additionally, there is the "ick factor"—a psychological barrier where consumers are hesitant to eat food grown in a laboratory. Traditional farming lobbies are also pushing back, demanding that these products not be labeled as "meat" to protect their market share. Whether cultivated meat becomes a staple of our diet or remains a high-end curiosity depends on its ability to achieve price parity and public trust.