For decades, the US government has been pouring money into the meat industry. That funding effectively built the industry into what it is now. For example, take the “Chicken of Tomorrow” program, which aimed to breed chickens that would grow faster and have larger breasts. It was organized by the Department of Agriculture in the 1940s, and it led to the development of the contemporary broiler chicken, the kind many people eat today.
Now, some argue that the government should do the same thing — but for the meatless meat industry.
Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have ushered in a new generation of plant-based meats. They don’t quite taste exactly like real meat, but they’re close enough. Meanwhile, other companies are working on developing lab-grown or “cell-based” meat… The downside is that it’s still astronomically expensive to produce.
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The Biden administration could help accelerate alternative meat technology by investing in R&D. Right now, private investors may not want to take on the financial risk of looking for truly innovative new tech, which could take years to pay off — but a big infusion of public cash could make the field feel more like a sure bet.
