In early May 2024, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 1084, which was the first bill to become law that prevents the sale of lab-grown meat in a U.S. state. This is definitely a notable — and potentially divisive — piece of legislation, but how do Florida farmers actually feel about it?
Pat Durden, president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, said, “Our producer members have celebrated this as a win for agriculture.”
Lab-grown meat involves cultivating animal cells to make meat without raising or slaughtering an animal.
The biggest reasons that Florida’s ban of the sale of lab-grown meat passed are consumer safety concerns and protecting animal agriculture. Animal proteins are highly regulated and tested, following strict animal-welfare and food-safety laws through the entire production process. From the farm or ranch to the plate, you can be sure that animal proteins are safe and reliable. When people purchase meat or seafood, they know that they are getting a safe and nutritious product.
Durden says that lab-grown meat doesn’t have the history to prove what real meat does: that it’s a safe and reliable food source, with the nutrition numbers to back it up.
He said, “With meat, consumers are getting what it says it is. If you’re going to buy a ribeye steak, you know what it came from and that it’s made it through all the safety checkpoints from the ranch to the plate. We don’t feel like people should be able to bypass this.”
Another interesting food-safety concern is what happens if someone gets sick from lab-grown meat? If lab-grown meat is not clearly labeled as lab-grown or if consumers don’t realize that they purchased lab-grown meat, animal agriculture could be in hot water. All meat sales could be impacted in the event that there is a contamination issue and subsequent sickness as a result of unregulated lab-grown meat.
Durden concluded, “The whole thing is about consumer safety and protecting not only the beef industry, but all of animal ag, including the fishing industry and all animal proteins.”
Another goal of Florida farmers is to strengthen food labeling guidelines across all of agriculture. It can be hard for people to understand what they’re purchasing unless they are a part of the ag industry or have a background in nutrition.
In the meantime, Durden encourages anyone buying meat to look at the labels to understand what they’re buying. He also points out that if a consumer is buying real meat, there’s a really good chance that that purchase is supporting family farms, since 97 percent of all U.S. farms are family owned. It’s also interesting that some of the people supporting lab-grown meat justify it by saying that consumers won’t be supporting “factory” farms — when lab-grown meat is made in a lab (essentially a factory) and almost all farms in the U.S. are family businesses.
Another concern in animal agriculture is environmental impact. Lab-grown meat is seen by some as a more environmentally friendly alternative, but this isn’t always true. A 2023 study found that the global warming potential of lab-grown meat is four to 25 times greater than that of traditional retail beef.
“The cattle industry gets painted in a negative environmental light,” Durden said. “If you want to see wildlife and the country like it used to be, you have to go to a ranch.”
All of animal agriculture is working on becoming more sustainable. Recently agriculture decreased it’s GHG emissions by almost 2 percent in one year. Animal ag specifically has also been decreasing it’s land, water, and energy use and GHG emissions, all while continuing to recycle, promote biodiversity, and provide other environmental benefits.
“We work strongly toward conservation programs,” Durden noted. “The cow is actually the tool that we use to maintain and manage those properties appropriately.”
While farmers and ranchers are happy about the decision to ban the sale of lab-grown meat, Durden said that the real win is that Florida leadership is willing to support agriculture.
“Most [producers] are happy that we have leadership who is fighting for them and looking out for their industry and way of life,” Durden said. “I think this has meant more to them than anything, even more than the bill itself. When the Governor and Commissioner of Agriculture are speaking up and standing up for you, it’s a big deal. It shows that ag has a place to work with state leadership and that they are willing to listen to farmers and ranchers. We don’t always have that.”
What most people don’t realize is, “We don’t have John Duttons everywhere. We are a grassroots group of small, family businesses, whose business just happens to be raising cattle,” Durden said, referencing the main character played by Kevin Costner in the popular television series Yellowstone.
Durden also pointed out that while the banning of lab-grown meat is making headlines, SB 1084 contains many other things that are relevant to agriculture. Florida farmers are celebrating other pieces of legislation passed in this bill, surrounding topics like pest control, criminal trespass on agricultural property, and now 4-H and FFA members will receive an excused absence from school to attend 4-H or FFA events.
Durden said that Florida livestock producers are still open to the possibility of lab-grown meat being sold in their state. First, he said lab-grown meat companies need to prove the safety, nutrition, and reliability of their product. Then, if it is approved for sale again: “Figure out what you’re going to call it, because it isn’t meat.”
Florida may have been the first state to pass legislation banning the sale of lab-grown meat, but it hasn’t been the last. And we should expect more to come. On May 17, 2024, Alabama became the second sate to ban lab-grown meat when Gov. Kay Ivey signed Act SB 23, which the prohibits “the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells.”
Additionally, Iowa has signed a bill placing specific restrictions on how lab-grown products are labeled.
Italy is the first country to ban the production and sale of lab-grown meat, and groups in other countries are advocating for the same thing. On May 15, 2024, leaders of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas, and Canadian Cattle Association signed a multi-national joint statement to continue advocating for greater oversight of emerging lab-grown proteins, protecting cattle from animal diseases, and promoting the sustainability of the cattle industry.
It’s clear that people aren’t sold on lab-grown meat. A 2023 survey found that half of American adults were not interested in trying lab-grown meat. It will be worth seeing what comes next in the fascinating world of lab-grow meat, but rest assured that raising livestock for meat is a tradition that will continue for years.
Michelle Miller, the Farm Babe, is a farmer, public speaker, and writer who has worked for years with row crops, beef cattle, and sheep. She believes education is key in bridging the gap between farmers and consumers.
