Throughout history, humanity has been on a roller coaster ride of inventions and advancements, and with each new technology, there has been an equal and opposite reaction of mockery, panic and fear. From trains and cars to video games and the internet, there has always been a period of uncertainty and skepticism before these technologies became widely accepted.

In the 1800s, people considered trains a dangerous and unnatural mode of transportation. Many believed that if humans were meant to travel at such high speeds, we would have evolved to do so. Some even believed that trains would cause the human body to explode due to intense pressure. In 1903, the President of Michigan Savings Bank advised Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in Ford Motor Company, adding that ‘The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty, a fad’. Today, trains and cars are an integral part of our daily lives, and we couldn’t imagine a world without them.

The media giants of 1900 – telephone, radio, and television – were met with skepticism, unfounded claims of danger and dismissal, despite becoming essential tools for information, entertainment and communication.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and we see the same pattern with the internet. When the internet emerged, many people were hit by ‘computerphobia’. The Daily Mail even deemed the new technology as a ‘passing fad’ in 2000 because of its ‘limited functionality’. However, we all know how important and ubiquitous the internet has become in our lives. Similarly, video games were considered by the toy industry only a momentary fashion in 1977, but they have evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry and a major form of entertainment for people of all ages.

Cultivated Meat Is the Next Big Thing

The latest technology to face skepticism is cultivated meat. This new form of protein is created by harvesting animal cells and growing them in a lab, eliminating the need for traditional animal farming and the subsequent environmental and ethical implications of traditional meat. Many are skeptical about this technology, with concerns ranging from safety to taste.

However, just like with trains and the internet, cultivated meat is a technology that has the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing a sustainable and humane source of protein that can meet the ever-growing demand for meat without putting a strain on the environment and requiring the killing of billions of farm animals. Not to mention its potential to eliminate food-borne diseases, reduce the need for antibiotics in livestock and boost food security.

The concept of cultivated meat may seem daunting at first – much like how fire likely frightened the first human to witness it. But just as other new technologies revolutionized our lives, cultivated meat has the potential to transform the protein industry, replacing environmentally harmful and cruel factory farming practices with climate-friendly and humane alternatives.

It’s natural to be skeptical of new technology, but as society has evolved, we have learned to regulate and benefit from these innovations. We believe that cultivated meat is here to stay, and we envision a future where the next generation will wonder why we ever produced meat in such an inefficient and unkind way.

This work happened because of the support of people like you. Please consider donating today to build a more humane and sustainable protein supply in Asia.