The transformative innovation potential of cellular agriculture: Political and policy stakeholders' perceptions of cultured meat in Germany

The current animal-based food systems are being challenged by environmental, social and economic sustain ability issues. A systemic transformation from conventional agriculture to a more sustainable cellular agriculture utilising cell-cultivation technologies to produce animal products has been proposed. The aim of this study is to explore the political and policy stakeholders' perceptions about cellular agriculture; how they perceive of the current food system and its potential transformation into a cellular agricultural system. The qualitative data comprises 13 interviews conducted with representatives of German stakeholders. The data were analysed with the Transformative Innovation Policy approach. Perceptions of the transformative potential of cultured products were classified into drivers and bottlenecks that either advance or hinder the progress of cellular agriculture in Germany. The results show that the political and policy stakeholders are aware of the changes that are needed, but anticipate that large-scale transformation to the cellular agriculture system may not be a plausible solution in the near future.

Automated summary

The current animal-based food systems are facing sustainability challenges, and cellular agriculture is proposed as a solution. This study explores the perceptions of political and policy stakeholders towards cellular agriculture, and finds that while they recognize the need for change, they believe that large-scale transformation may not be feasible.