Welcome To The Future We Found A Way To Grow Meat In Space
The world’s meat industries have all been looking for more sustainable ways to distribute beef and other meats alike. Now, Aleph Farms, and Israeli food company, has successfully grown meat at the International Space Station. Yes, you read that correctly, food engineers have figured out a way to use cow cells and develop them into full beef steaks. The general goal of Aleph farms was to find the most sustainable, eco-friendly, and slaughter free meat development option to greater benefit meat lovers and the planet and now they may have found a way to make that dream a reality and revolutionize the entire meat industry.
According to CNN, the process explanation is quite simple; the engineers took cow cells and supplied them with tons of nutrients and placed them in an environment that was most similar to the inside of a cow (space). As the cells absorb the nutrients, they grow and develop muscle tissue which eventually grows into full steaks.
According to the official press release from Aleph farms, “a small-scale muscle tissue in a 3D bio-printer was able to develop by 3D Bio-printing Solutions placed under micro-gravity conditions. This cutting-edge research in some of the most extreme environments imaginable, serves as an essential growth indicator of sustainable food production methods that don’t exacerbate land waste, water waste, and pollution.”
The new means of meat production could potentially work as a constant food source for astronauts on space missions, as well as become extremely beneficial to our planet’s growing population and food demands. The meat industry is one of the top sources of greenhouse gas emissions into our environment, the beef industry specifically making up 41% of all livestock gas emissions, according to CNN. In total, the meat industry is responsible for 14.5% of total emissions in the world, which is even higher than the “direct emissions from the transportation sector of the planet.”
Cows in general are treated just as meat producing machines, so the process of creating meat out of thin air, not literally, is not only more environmentally conscious, but way more humane. The animals also take a lot of food and water in order to properly grow and develop to be their beefiest, so by reducing the amount of cows needed to sustain the meat industry, transportation for food products, factory development of food and water resources will all see a decrease, which would be extremely beneficial for the planet.
“In space, we don’t have 10,000 or 15,000 liters (3962.58 gallons) of water available to produce one kilogram (2.205 pounds) of beef. This joint experiment marks a significant first step toward achieving our vision to ensure food security for generations to come, while preserving our natural resources” said CEO Didier Toubia in the Monday press release.
According to CNN Health, the global population is expected to hit 10 billion by 2050, which would lead to a 70% increase in demand for meat and dairy products. A hard pill to swallow considering Americans and Europeans need to reduce their meat and dairy consumption by 40% in order to sustain that projected growing population. It’s for this reason that Aleph Farms and its many competitors are racing to find the easiest way to create clean, sustainable meat options. This major breakthrough from Aleph is huge for the entire industry, and should help lead other companies on the right track. In addition, the food industry is attempting to make tons of “impossible meat” options, plant based proteins that taste exactly like beef or any other meat. One way or another, food engineers and scientists alike are on the right track to developing a more sustainable world where meat can literally be grown in space.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.