A taste of things to come: The environmental - ethical combat on genetically modified food

No one likes to be told what to eat. It is an innate necessity of one’s life and a simple method of indulging in simple pleasures that life provides. Yet, in the current world there is an ambivalent movement, which focuses on introducing a food transition. More and more of us are interested in reducing the negative impact created by our diet towards the environment. Besides the health benefits of what we eat, the impact that it creates on the environment is also reflected upon. With global warming being an ever-growing issue, reduction of the carbon footprint in every possible way is imperative.

With the food transition that the world currently shows, interest in the concept of veganism has become quite popular. However, the fraction of the population of the world that has adopted veganism is quite low. The willingness to give up on meat completely is not embraced by a lot. Nevertheless, many tend to reduce the amount of meat that they consume. Specifically, the goal is to eat less meat that has a higher carbon print. While red meat such as beef and lamb have a higher carbon print, leaner meat such as chicken and fish have a lesser carbon print. On the other hand pork has a comparatively moderate carbon print. As a result it is recommended to reduce the intake of meat such as beef and choose meat such as chicken to be included in one's diet. Such substitutions create a higher impact in reducing the environmental footprint of one’s diet.

Even though this seems to be a very practical and easy solution to pursue, it is not without its disadvantages. It is irreconcilable with the well-being of animals. The more we choose environmentally friendly meat choices, the more we condemn and endanger the lives of animals. Generally, it is the animals that are smaller in size which tends to leave a smaller carbon footprint. Unfortunately, to obtain the amount of meat provided by a cow, about one hundred and thirty four chickens have to be slaughtered. By simply changing what types of meat we eat, we can save millions of carbon, but should we kill trillion of animals to save the world?

Animals are also an important segment of the environment that deserve to live equally as we do. Consuming “sustainable meat” means subjecting more animals to crueler lives. Embracing veganism is one of the most obvious ways to overcome this conundrum. However many would not want to cut meat entirely from their diet. The next obvious method would be to invest in alternative proteins. Currently, the researchers make efforts to produce “fake” meat, i.e; in vitro meat within labs, by growing animal muscle cells in a dish. Nevertheless, the cell-culture medium that is used to grow these cells are also obtained from dead animals. This largely defeats the purpose of synthetic meat, but it could help to reduce the wasteful production of a large number of farm animals for slaughter.

Even though lab grown meat could induce the reduction of farming animals for slaughter, many are reluctant to try it or even to engage in a discussion about it. Perhaps, it could be due to the established general notion of lab grown food being less healthy or perhaps because many consider it to be tasteless. Many would be reluctant to make it a part of their diet. Mark Post, a researcher who makes leading efforts to produce lab grown meat, has never been tempted to taste the meat he himself creates. A Russian TV journalist, the only person who has tried this lab grown meat, has claimed it to be “chewy and tasteless.”

Considering these anomalies, creating a market for lab grown meat would be quite challenging. The only claim that could be authenticated over the consumption of natural meat would be the positive change that it creates on animal – welfare. The primordial practice of dependence on killing animals is on the verge of being untwined. Yet, would you consume lab-grown meat? Would I consume lab- grown meat? We are yet to fully appreciate how crucial this might be.

Content by Rtr. Sajani Pathiranage

Edited by Rtr. Binuri Weerasinghe and Rtr. Buwanajee Coralage

Designed by : Rtr. Savanthi Kotalawala