Lab-Grown meat for troops? Cattle industry objects

Jun 10, 2024

Research grant sparks debate on military food options

By Farms.com

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is expressing strong disapproval of a Department of Defense (DOD) research grant awarded to BioMADE for developing lab-grown meat products for the military.

The NCBA views this as a misguided investment, questioning the quality of lab-grown meat compared to traditionally raised beef.

Ethan Lane, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs, voiced his concerns. He argues that American troops deserve the "highest-quality beef" and criticizes lab-grown meat as "ultra-processed" and produced in "chemical-filled bioreactors."

The NCBA also emphasizes the environmental benefits of US cattle ranching, claiming it has a "low carbon footprint." They see lab-grown meat as an unnecessary departure from a successful food system.

This news highlights the debate surrounding lab-grown meat. While some see it as a sustainable and ethical future of food production, others, like the NCBA, prioritize traditional agriculture and question the quality and safety of this new technology.

The DOD's involvement adds a new dimension to the conversation, raising questions about the role of lab-grown meat in military food supply chains.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.