We are what we eat. We need a farmer three times a day. All these ideas are being undermined by a new form of food production, straight out of the laboratory. A bit like in the 50s, when some people promised that we would no longer sit down at the table to eat, but take a few pills to meet our needs, some people are now inventing food without a farmer.
This time, the idea is for it to look like food, taste like food, be the same colour and smell. Except that it’s simply cells grown in a reactor and aggregated together. Some scientists have their doubts as to whether this is not even worse for the environment than traditional food: it takes a lot of energy, water and production methods akin to the pharmaceutical industry to produce it.
MEPs have their doubts too. While the Commission is working on a protein strategy, they have said in a resolution that they believe these products raise many questions that need to be explored in greater depth before going ahead.
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