‘Clean meat could be NZ’s new dairy’
A US social scientist who believes people will stop farming animals by 2100, says New Zealand’s dairy farming heritage could help us become a world leader in the ‘‘clean meat’’ industry.
But industry group New Zealand Young Farmers says Kiwis should stick to what they’re good at – agriculture.
Jacy Reese, co-founder of New York’s Sentience Institute, told Stuff making meat in a lab used far fewer resources than animal farming but required the same distribution channels, culinary preparation and packaging.
‘‘The main arguments, there are many, for the end of animal farming is technological efficiency,’’ he said.
‘‘When you’re producing [clean meat], you don’t have all of that excess. You don’t have things like lagoons of manure that are polluting local ecosystems . . . [which] has been exposed by undercover investigations.’’
In his forthcoming book The End of Animal Farming, Reese argues people will stop farming animals in the next century.
Reese was in Christchurch on Saturday night to speak about his research and encourage local vegan groups.
‘‘Australia and New Zealand both have a reputation for ethically wholesome food and agricultural products and I think that provides a huge opportunity for them to take the lead,’’ he said earlier.
This week scientists and others in the primary industries will discuss how new food technologies will change farming in New Zealand at a conference in Auckland called ProteinTech.
Young Farmers chairman Jason Te Brake said it was far too soon to say people would stop farming animals because of new alternative protein products. Meanwhile, a major scientific review published in the British journal Science on Friday recommended people reduce the amount of meat they eat for the sake of the environment and their health.
Reacting to that, Massey University Professor Robert McLachlan said: ‘‘In New Zealand, the consumption of red meat has fallen by 58 per cent in just 10 years, and is now close to the average for rich nations, and close to recommended health limits on a population basis.’’