Vat Grown Meat and the Natural/Unnatural Duality
Posted on Jan 12th, 2006
by 
Ryan
Ryan
By almost all definitions, I am an environmentalist. I am vegan, I recycle, I don't drive, I rarely fly, I won't reproduce, I take my own dishes for take out - you know the story. Yet there is one thing I have noticed that I don't share with many other environmentalists - a fairly strict definition between what is natural and what is not, and then a bias in favour of things deemed "natural". For example, some environmentalists (and animal rights activists) are aghast at the prospects of "vat-grown meat" as being unnatural and 'against' 'nature'. But it's coming, perhaps in the the next decade. In fact, there is an interesting group working hard to develop this right now:
For the reasons stated in that last sentence, I've always supported the concept of this not so science-fictiony-anymore-idea. There might be some GMO concerns, but for me the risks will likely be handled and ultimately pale in comparison to the potential relief of suffering to non-human animals. Vat Grown meat is quite honestly the greatest hope for animal rights activists over the next 20 years! If it becomes affordable, better for the environment and just as healthy and tasty, the average consumer might be disgusted at first but like so many things will come to see as the norm in a matter of a decade or less. As real meat consumption goes down, so will the need to defend this part or our society, of our ego. In it's place will come more empathy and compassion, for all animals.
Is it unnatural? Yes and no and neither. Yes, in the traditional sense of natural being of non-human origin or non-technological (something like that) - but who cares? How is that morally relavent? It's something to be considered, of course, but it's no trump against anything. This is about compassion. And no it's not unnatural , because everything is 'natural' depending on your point of view. Is talking natural? Is wearing clothes? Drinking milk? Making music? Using an Ipod? Where do you draw the line? That leads to the next - it's neither. The natural/unnatural distinction is another duality that has no essence in itself but we mistake as something with inherant meaning, become identified with, and thus need to defend (both the distinction itself and the the 'good' half of that ...).
Incidently, there was a discussion/debate I participated in on this some months back in a vegan forum where common concerns are raised against vat grown meat. Check it out if you are interested.
Ryan
New Harvest is a nonprofit research organization working to develop new meat substitutes, including cultured meat — meat produced in vitro, in a cell culture, rather than from an animal.
Because meat substitutes are produced under controlled conditions impossible to maintain in traditional animal farms, they can be safer, more nutritious, less polluting, and more humane than conventional meat.
For the reasons stated in that last sentence, I've always supported the concept of this not so science-fictiony-anymore-idea. There might be some GMO concerns, but for me the risks will likely be handled and ultimately pale in comparison to the potential relief of suffering to non-human animals. Vat Grown meat is quite honestly the greatest hope for animal rights activists over the next 20 years! If it becomes affordable, better for the environment and just as healthy and tasty, the average consumer might be disgusted at first but like so many things will come to see as the norm in a matter of a decade or less. As real meat consumption goes down, so will the need to defend this part or our society, of our ego. In it's place will come more empathy and compassion, for all animals.
Is it unnatural? Yes and no and neither. Yes, in the traditional sense of natural being of non-human origin or non-technological (something like that) - but who cares? How is that morally relavent? It's something to be considered, of course, but it's no trump against anything. This is about compassion. And no it's not unnatural , because everything is 'natural' depending on your point of view. Is talking natural? Is wearing clothes? Drinking milk? Making music? Using an Ipod? Where do you draw the line? That leads to the next - it's neither. The natural/unnatural distinction is another duality that has no essence in itself but we mistake as something with inherant meaning, become identified with, and thus need to defend (both the distinction itself and the the 'good' half of that ...).
Incidently, there was a discussion/debate I participated in on this some months back in a vegan forum where common concerns are raised against vat grown meat. Check it out if you are interested.
Ryan
Access: PublicTagged with: environment, vegan, animal rights, duality, environmentalists, meat substitutes, cultured meat
animal rights
August 2008 
vat grown meat freaks me out.
Just thought I’d share that. :)
Finally! A solution to my conundrum.
freaks me out too…..but i’d eat it anyway.
cause like you say Ry, where do you draw the line in today’s mostly artificial world?
maybe we need a philosophical bridge to help some of us get over the philosophical hump of eating meat not just stored in a can, but grown in one.
what might that bridge be?
the zen of artificial existence? how do we wrap the mind around this cognitive pothole? –i’m talking about the populous in general, you already sold me :)
Vat Meat.
I dunno.
I know I’m not the norm on this site, being omnivorous and all, but vat meat? Well. Maybe. I’ve had really interesting conversations over the years about this sort of thing … er … not Vat Meat in particular, but the artificiality and duality of it all. And I’ll tell you (ducks in advance), hunting your own meat (which I can’t bring myself to do, by the way) seems waaaaay more humane and reasonable than growing living things and shipping them off in trucks to die by the hundreds.
My opinion about hunters (some hunters, anyway) has changed over the years. Many I’ve met are ardently eco-sensitive and will never buy traditionally-processed meat for both moral and health reasons. I still eat meat regardless, and will continue to do so.
I wish, with more than a pinch of regret, that I could be out wandering the plains in search of food for my family … something meatish. But, I’m not that guy. I can’t kill stuff. At least I can’t do it myself … so I pay my Meat Guy to go out and do it for me.
Would I buy Vat Meat?
If it had a better name …
Was reading New Harvest’s site and their description of the production method…and found myself oddly nauseated…and really at a loss for why….hmmm
Scott
ryan,
thanks so much for this - it introduces so many tangents, variables, and ponderables. also, something like this tends to reveal the hidden agends and shadow elements of our opinions, the “not natural” expression being one of them. excellent bro, as a cooking professional i am obliged to look into this further.
~eric g.
I agree totally, so many things that happen are too quickly categorized into good or bad. An idea may seem totally ridiculous/wrong until you see what idea it may replace was actually worse. I’d prefer a vegan world, but until then I will support the least devastating alternatives. I am a bit of an environmentalist but support nuclear power 100%. It may not be perfect but I’d rather bury pollution in cement than eat,drink, and breathe it like the alternatives (oil,coal,gas,wood,etc).
Well, whatever they name it, they have better get creative. I recently have switched to meat substitutes and don't yet know how to make my own Seitan, so I called around Portland stores asking if they carried it.
Just imagine trying to awaken those in the south (or elsewhere) by asking them to ingest something pronounced “Satan”. Time to rename that one first!
Ryan,
Your query as to what is natural vs. not. Very interesting questions, especially in our current culture. Can I offer my perspective? I recently added this post from a discussion on medical treatment.
Best,
Anna