But we’re reaching the upper limit of how much longer we can do this for. According to a report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock grazing takes up 26% of Earth’s ice-free land, and an additional 33% of arable land is used to grow the food that feeds them. This set-up is also susceptible to unpredictable events, such as epidemic viruses, antibiotic resistance, and weather incidents like rogue snow storms and heat waves. [...]
One of the most important ways to do that is through cellular agriculture. This is the process of producing animal products from cells rather than from whole animals. Instead of raising a cow from calf to slaughter—and requiring all of the feed, water, and land that goes with it—we can create animal proteins without the farm. [...]
It’s also potentially better for our health: If we weren’t so reliant on concentrated animal farming operations, we could rein in problems with epidemic viruses and antibiotic resistance. Right now, the vast majority of antibiotics are manufactured and used for farm animals, not for human beings. The development of antibiotic resistance could be one of the biggest threats to global public health. Moving toward more controlled, clean systems for animal product manufacturing may help us reduce our dependence on antibiotics in farming.
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