Cooking without the chops!

Now time for that great debate... is meat compatible with a net zero future?

Globally we consume more meat now than at anytime in human history. In the UK alone a billion chickens a year make it onto our plates in some form. Add to that about a million pigs slaughtered monthly and you can see that there is a lot of appetite out there!

In terms of net zero, we are told we need to reduce meat consumption due to the amount of emissions associated with the sector, from cow burps, pig poop, water, land use, let alone slaughtering and packaging.

Then of course there is the moral argument. Suffering and welfare and of course the environmental effects, have seen vegetarian and vegan options become commonplace on menus.

But is there something that could satisfy our desire for meat but cause less emissions and suffering? That's the topic I discuss with Che Connon, an academic and managing director of BSF Enterprise. They have created lab grown pork from cells, with the same taste and texture and properties of real meat.

They are also experimenting on tissue engineering to create a lab grown leather and other bio products, with the aim of reducing the emissions and suffering of animals.

I really enjoyed this chat, let me know what you think and do subscribe and share the podcast.