Politics of lab grown meat: Democrats open to innovation, Republicans mostly oppose it

Florida officially banned cultivated meat, making it a felony to sell, manufacture, produce or distribute these proteins in the state.

It comes three months before a similar law by Alabama comes into effect. These legislative measures have been playing to the culture wars surrounding meat in the US during an election year.

Describing cultivated meat as ‘fake meat’ and/or ‘lab-grown’ (a term despised by the alternative protein industry), the messaging around these bans has been hostile, protectionist and misleading.

[A] Morning Consult poll found that while similar shares of Democrats, Republicans and independents had seen, read or heard about cultivated meat, how they perceive the innovation differs greatly.

Democrats are far more likely to have a net-positive opinion on cultivated meat (the difference between the number of people who like a product versus those who don’t). For example, the net share of Democrats who say cultivated meat is good for the environment is 36, versus nine for independents and seven for Republicans.

This is the only metric that had a net-positive response from Republicans and independents, although Republicans are far more likely to say that conventional meat is climate-friendly (a net-positive share of 41).

But even Democrats are much more divided over other aspects of cultivated meat, highlighting the need for greater awareness about this food. When asked whether cultivated meat is nutritious, the Democrat net share is 15, while the Republicans have a more negative opinion (-7). Similar perceptions exist about the healthfulness of cultivated meat for both Democrats (net 10) and Republicans (-4).

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here