Is “Clean Meat” the Future of Food? A Conversation With Paul Shapiro

Interintellect host and sustainability enthusiast Lukas Rosenstock will interview Paul Shapiro, author of the book “Clean Meat” and CEO of “The Better Meat Co.”, about the future of food and the technologies that can replace factory farming with more ethical and environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Most people consume meat and dairy daily, the majority of which comes from factory farms. Animal agriculture inflicts much suffering on the beings we keep captive and slaughter. It is a significant source of greenhouse gases that cause our global climate crisis. For decades, activists have tried to convince us to become vegetarians or vegans, but global meat consumption is rising as people come out of poverty. Our appetite for meat and dairy is much greater than our compassion for animals and the planet – and I’m not excluding myself here!

Many activists and entrepreneurs – often aligned with the “effective altruism” movement – have concluded that pleas are not enough. Humans want meat, so we have to figure out how to give it to them sustainably without killing animals. Supermarkets have started stocking plant-based meat and milk alternatives, but that’s not the end. With cellular agriculture, we can grow real meat from cells without a live animal, although there are still challenges in producing clean meat at scale. Precision fermentation and mycoprotein are additional alternatives which are developed right now.

Paul Shapiro claims that he has tasted more cell-based products than probably anyone on this planet. With his book, podcast, and public talks, as well as a co-founder and CEO, he’s at the heart of this fascinating up-and-coming industry. Together with Paul, we’ll learn more about the future of food and when this future will have arrived at your nearest supermarket.

Recommended Readings:

• Paul’s book, “Clean Meat”
• What Will Future Generations Think of Our Treatment of Animals? | Paul Shapiro | TEDxMidAtlantic
• Clean Meat: The Clean Energy of Food | Paul Shapiro | TEDxSouthLakeTahoe

(The two talks, but especially the second one, cover a lot of the main ideas in the book. If you haven’t read the book, please check out at least the second talk.)

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