A TEAM of researchers led by the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester are looking for farmers to help them with a new project.

They want to understand how cultured meat could impact UK agriculture so they have appealed to farmers who might be able to help build a clearer picture of the risks and opportunities of the new technology.

Cultured meat - also known as cultivated, cell-based, or lab-grown meat - is a type of meat substitute which has attracted interest from investors because of its potential to have the same taste and texture as conventional meat.

The UK Research and Innovation funded team of farmers, researchers, and start-ups has identified the types of farm which are most likely to be affected and are now looking for farmers who might be interested in playing a funded part in help identify the winners and losers.

Professor Tom MacMillan, chair in rural policy and strategy at the RAU, who is leading the project, said: “Around the world, decisions are being made about whether cultured meat will reach our dinner tables.

"In the US it has been cleared for human consumption while the Italian government has proposed banning it.

“Decisions will need to be made in the UK too and it is critical that, when they are, we consider how it might impact farmers. 

"Right now, we just don’t know who will be affected or how. 

"This project intends to map out who the winners and the losers might be and gives farmers an opportunity to have their voice heard in the debate.”

The team has already held focus groups with farmers across the UK where concerns were raised not only about how the technology could displace livestock farming but also about its wider effects on nutrition, health, and corporate power in the food industry.

Dr Lisa Morgans, senior lecturer in animal health and welfare at the RAU who led the focus groups, said: “The next phase of the research involves working with farms of the types most likely to be affected, for better or worse, to give us a picture of the impact cultured meat could have on UK farming.

"The findings will be used to advise on policies affecting this fast-growing industry.”

The team is keen to partner with farms that fall into each of the following categories:
•    pig
•    poultry
•    conventional beef or lamb – particularly hill farms
•    pasture fed or organic livestock
•    rare breed livestock
•    dairy
•    fruit or vegetables
•    arable
•    protein growers eg. peas, beans, quinoa
•    a farm with an on-farm food processing or brewing enterprise

Dr Morgans added: “Any farmers who partner with us will be recompensed for their time and the findings could provide valuable business insights that could help them adapt or innovate in response to this and other emerging issues.”

If you are a farmer who would be interested in taking part in this project, email Lisa.Morgans@rau.ac.uk 

Full details of the projects are available at tinyurl.com/4xzutyr5