For years scientists have been working on the technology to grow tissue cultures fit for consumption – think meat – to skip the complexities of farming. As the world’s population continues to grow, so too does its effort to raise, feed, house, kill and keep meat healthy and disease-free. Using a unique approach to pick up the pace, PETA is crowdsourcing the effort.
PETA is offering a $1 million prize to the contest participant able to make the first in vitro chicken meat fit to sell to the public by June 30, 2012.
This presents an ethical quagmire for the “organic” animal lover. Do you eat the tasty grain-fed animal or the tasty animal-spliced grain? Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder of PETA told the New York Times there was “a near civil war” over the concept. Apparently some folks at PETA “are repulsed by the thought of eating animal tissue, even if no animals are killed.”
In the end the contest was supported by PETA. The official line on their website concludes, “of course, humans don’t need to eat meat at all … as many people continue to refuse to kick their meat addictions, PETA is willing to help them gain access to flesh that doesn’t cause suffering and death.”
We shall see.
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7 Responses to “PETA Crowdsourcing In Vitro Meat”
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April 22nd, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Wow… adds a new dimension to the whole People Eating Tasty Animals lawsuit back in 1990s… if they only knew then what we know now. [shudders]
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:41 am
Another example of science twisting our sacredly held beliefs into tangled little knots… People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal Tissue perhaps? – Of course, that kind of leave the “Destroy any Embryo” faction out in the cold.
To the point of this blogs research… So, beyond PETA being faced with this scientific conundrum; how is PETA embracing the use of social media/networking to advance its cause. I’m sure they must be doing more than simply running contests?
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:35 am
I can’t speak to the “sacredly held beliefs” comment, but I can agree that there are a whole new pile of ethics to sort out here.
I would say crowd sourcing the science community does count for more than your average contest. Of course, crowd sourcing is a form of CGM, and therefore totally falls within the Social Media space and radical trust realm.
Although it will likely take much more than $1million R&D to get in-vitro meat to point they want it… you never know. At least we are talking about it – That is the point after all. PETA succeeds, and leaves me thinking.
Coincidentally, “The Current” on CBC this morning did a story about the US military researching tissue regeneration trying to find ways to regrow fingers, toes… even limbs for war amps. Gotta hand it to them… that is one way to re-arm your soldiers on the battlefield.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
PETA running a Test Tube Meat Contest…
Mark this one up to strange. PETA is offering a $1 million prize to the contest participant able to make the first in vitro chicken meat fit to sell to the public by June 30, 2012.
The official line on their website concludes, of course, humans dont…
April 30th, 2008 at 5:54 am
Great PeTA-idea. For more backgroud-information, technology, ethics and success-criteria on „in-vitro-meat“ (others call it „cultured meat“) visit FutureFood-project. There are still many obstacles to overcome. On this website other alternatives to animal meat are presented, too. An inspiration for the future!
April 30th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Thanks for the link and comment Gerda99.
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