Most meat produced in 2040 will not come from animals, study suggests

The majority of meat that people eat by the year 2040 will not come from dead animals, The Independent reports, citing new findings.

Global consultancy firm AT Kearney conducted the report based on interviews with industry experts, who predict that 60 per cent of the meat products we consume in 2040 will either be plant-based replacements or cultured alternatives grown in vats.

The report suggests that the transition will be the result of a growing awareness of the environmental consequences of conventional meat farming methods and the rising demand for vegan alternatives.

It defines cultured meat as a type of meat that is created “through exponential cell growth in bioreactors” and does not involve animal slaughter.

It is produced by extracting a cell from a living animal and proliferating it outside of the animal’s body using a bioreactor. The result “is meat which is identical to conventionally produced meat,” the report states, noting that while start-ups have produced various prototypes, cultured meat products are not yet commercially available.