this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2024
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Here's the thing, as I see it. Meat eaters don't genuinely care about the ethics of meat. They give no shits about factory farming. So lab grown meat won't be popular until it becomes significantly cheaper than standard factory farming. And even then conservatives will insist on eating real meat for ideological reasons, just like they do today.
(I mean, look at the impossible burgers. They were damn near identical to ground beef, and at a similar price point. But similar wasn't good enough - they didn't get it cheaper than actual ground beef so it ended up just a brief fad.)
And lab grown meat doesn't have the short supply chain of a live animal in a field. Even factory farming at its most factoriest is pretty straightforward - grow corn, feed it to pigs in tiny cages, pump them full of antibiotics, repeat. Lab grown meat doesn't have the cruelty factor but the complexity of its supply chain and the amount of artificial inputs it requires, not only make it antithetical to solarpunk philosophy in a different way, but make it highly unlikely it'll ever be competitive price-wise.
What we need is a pre-industrial-revolution attitude towards food. Our calories should be primarily vegetarian and vegan, grown naturally from the soil. Food shouldn't be an industrial product. And there's nothing more industrial than lab-grown meat.
I do and will switch to lab grown meat as soon as it's available for ethical reasons. Clearly I'm not invested enough in the issue to go vegan, but I don't think I'm alone here. I like meat. I can have meat without animals having to suffer? Sounds good to me, even if it's more expensive.
I think you stereotyping a bit. Everyday people don't feel strongly about food in either direction, but if they see meat in a shop advertised as "no animal had to die for this", many will think "that's nice" and buy it.
You are chosing pleasure over an animal not being stabbed in the neck. Don't give in to the illusion of giving a shit. At least admit that you don't. Have a fucking spine.
My point was many people would choose the more ethical option to get the same product, if one is available. As proven by various "green" options in other product categories being popular.
I'm not sure what point are you trying to make now. It's seems like some no true Scotsman.
"I would stop sexually assaulting people if there was a more ethical option but sadly there isn't, so I have to go on =((("
Certainly an... unconventional example to apply it on, but you got the gist of the idea, yes.
A less edgy example could be "I would buy drinks in a returnable glass bottle, but sadly everything is sold in disposable plastic bottles where I live, so I don't have that option". If you prefer such sexual examples, you do you.
Nah, I like my analogy better, since it highlights the direct injustice done to the individual.
The point is, you do have the choice to simply stop, you just don't give a shit about animals, just like someone who values their sexual pleasure over the bodily autonomy of their victims doesn't give a shit about them either.
I also think that there is some much potential in the dishes we eat. Western Cousine is mostly structured around a protein and side dishes but there is so much more out there. We could have a much healthier, more diverse and interesting diet that is basically better in every regard and doesn’t require highly processed plant proteins to work. But this requires a certain amount of dedication and resources on the cooking side of things. We should start taking proper food for the population more serious as a national health concern and provide a easy way to get cheap and healthy food for everyone. This is also vital because of how the society changed, more single households and less of the traditional family. In my naive mind I never understood why food is not something like health care, water services, sewage or what ever. Everyone needs it to survive. This would be better for health (care systems), the planet and local food independence. Instead we let huge food companies sell us more sawdust per candy bar every year and exploit workers in the south.