A vegan Bareburger allegedly tastes like the real thing. Chris Whiteoak / The National
A vegan Bareburger allegedly tastes like the real thing. Chris Whiteoak / The National
A vegan Bareburger allegedly tastes like the real thing. Chris Whiteoak / The National
A vegan Bareburger allegedly tastes like the real thing. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Lab-grown meat: a vegan shares her take on the alternative


Katy Gillett
  • English
  • Arabic

Here’s a fact: lab-grown meat is not vegan. People who follow this lifestyle adopt the belief that no creature should be used for human purposes and animals are involved in the making of lab-grown meat, which is still 100 per cent meat by all accounts.

Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll review the nuance, because this subject is by no means black and white. We humans have some serious problems to face. Remember when, last year, it was reported that we have just 12 years to save the planet from the growing global warming crisis, alongside other significant environmental challenges? Well, top climate scientists are now saying we should make that 18 months.

Nothing is more clear: something drastic needs to be done in order for us to heal the world. And animal agriculture is one of the most detrimental industries on the planet – it is one of the highest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the leading causes of deforestation, biodiversity loss and water pollution. While it is by no means the only contributing factor to our planet’s demise, it makes sense for us to do something about it – and quick.

Is the adoption of a vegan diet our best solution in this regard? Yes.

Sure, as a vegan, I'm biased, but I'm not alone in this belief – even Dutch scientist Mark Post, who presented us with the world's first lab-grown burger in 2013, said to The New York Times: "Vegetarians should remain vegetarian. That's even better for the environment."

But is it realistic that everyone on this planet will adopt a plant-based diet? Unfortunately, no.

And that’s where the benefits of lab-grown meat will come in. Not only does such meat reduce the unnecessary slaughter of billions of animals, but it will also use drastically less water, land and resources than our current meat-producing processes do. (Although it is still a far more energy-intensive method than feeding plants directly to people.)

Vegans are now spoilt for choice, so meat - real or lab-grown - is not a necessity by any means. Photo: Bloom Vegan Kitchen
Vegans are now spoilt for choice, so meat - real or lab-grown - is not a necessity by any means. Photo: Bloom Vegan Kitchen

Let’s rewind a minute, though. I mentioned lab-grown meat will reduce the slaughter of animals, but it’s important to understand that it hasn’t yet eradicated this altogether. This process still uses animals, albeit far fewer, and at the moment requires cells from something known as foetal bovine serum. This is taken from foetuses of cows at slaughterhouses, foetuses that have been whipped out of the animal’s womb at about the three-month mark. If you’re an omnivore, before you gasp in horror at this idea, then I suggest you look into the ins and outs of how your meat and dairy is made. If you’re a herbivore, then know companies across this burgeoning industry are currently looking at ways to eliminate this method altogether – so there is still hope.

But then there's the money involved, because it's all very expensive. Beckie Calder-Flynn, operations co-ordinator at Dutch food technology company Mosa Meat, recently told The Telegraph: "We estimate that commercialisation will bring the price of a burger down to €9 (Dh36), compared with the €250,000 it cost to make the first burger." This will certainly make it affordable to many, but it will by no means be accessible to all.

So, is lab-grown meat the answer to some of the biggest world’s problems? It does seem like a better solution than the one we have now, if people will insist on continuing to eat meat. But it doesn’t beat going vegan – and that’s another fact.

Results

6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m 

Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer) 

6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m 

Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor 

7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m 

Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer 

7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m 

Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor 

8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m 

Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby 

8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m 

Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons 

9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m 

Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor  

Martin Sabbagh profile

Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East

In the role: Since January 2015

Lives: In the UAE

Background: M&A, investment banking

Studied: Corporate finance

Normcore explained

Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.

The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers. 

HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen 

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS

Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.

Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.

Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar