6th May 2024 Lab-grown meat banned in Florida Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis has signed SB 1084, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cultivated meat in the state.
Cultivated, or "lab-grown" meat, has in recent years emerged as a pioneering solution to sustainable food production. This technology involves growing meat from animal cells within a bioreactor, bypassing traditional livestock farming and its associated environmental and ethical concerns. Worldwide, the cultivated meat industry has garnered significant interest for its potential to slash pollution, drastically reduce land and water usage, improve animal welfare, and eliminate the need for antibiotics, hormones, and chemicals often prevalent in conventional meat production processes. To date, three countries have granted approval for the commercial sale of cultivated meat – Singapore (2020), the United States (2023) and Israel (2024). As the process becomes ever more cost-effective and technologically mature, many other nations are expected to follow suit. The benefits are numerous and potentially world-changing – up to 96% lower greenhouse gas emissions, 96% lower water use, and 99% lower land use than conventional meat, according to one study. Meanwhile, billions of animals could be saved from slaughter each year, including chickens (58,110,000,000), ducks (2,817,000,000), pigs (1,383,000,000), turkeys (654,000,000), geese and guineafowl (649,000,000), sheep (517,000,000), goats (430,000,000), cattle (296,000,000) and bison (24,000,000), a total of almost 65 billion, or more than 2,000 per second. If adopted globally, vast areas of land, as well as the oceans, could be restored to their natural, pre-industrial state. Disease risks from bacterial contamination, antibiotic resistance, and zoonotic diseases, which are often associated with conventional animal farming and meat processing, would be substantially reduced. With its many advantages, massive growth potential, and improved choice for consumers, this is surely a technology worth pursuing, right? Not according to Governor Ron DeSantis.
SB 1084
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the commercial sale of cultivated meat in June 2023, Florida is now taking its own measures at the state level. Governor DeSantis has signed off Senate Bill 1084 (SB 1084), aimed at "prohibiting the manufacture for sale, sale, holding or offering for sale, or distribution of cultivated meat in this state." In a statement from his press office, the DeSantis administration rails against the World Economic Forum (WEF) and claims it has a goal of "forcing" the world to eat lab‑grown meat and insects. In addition to the ban, several measures will be enacted to provide government support to the state's existing agriculture and meat industry, such as the protection of 36,000 acres of farmland, and more than $2.8 billion going into the Framework for Freedom Budget. "Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite's plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals," said Mr. DeSantis. "Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef." "Florida is taking a tremendous step in the right direction by signing first-in-the-nation legislation banning lab-grown meat," said Wilton Simpson, the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture. "We must protect our incredible farmers and the integrity of American agriculture. Lab-grown meat is a disgraceful attempt to undermine our proud traditions and prosperity, and is in direct opposition to authentic agriculture. I applaud Governor DeSantis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, House Speaker Paul Renner, Senator Jay Collins, and Representative Danny Alvarez for standing up for Florida's farmers and consumers. Together, we will keep Florida's agricultural industry strong and thriving." Good Meat, the world's first company to sell lab-grown meat, expressed disappointment via X, stating: "In a state that purportedly prides itself on being a land of freedom and individual liberty, its government is now telling consumers what meat they can or cannot purchase." While many Republicans may be celebrating, this legislation now positions Florida at the forefront of another culture war and could trigger a national debate over the future of food technology, raising questions about the balance between innovation and regulation. Similar efforts are already underway in the states of Alabama, Arizona, and Tennessee, highlighting the broader implications of this issue across the country. What do you think about Governor Ron DeSantis' decision to ban lab-grown meat in Florida? Let us know in the comments below or join the discussions in our forum!
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