Recent progress of cultivated meat in Asia

Abstract

Accelerated by recent technological advancements, alternative proteins (AP) offer new opportunities to produce meat alternatives in a more sustainable, efficient, and secure way compared to conventional animal agriculture. As a primary category of AP, cultivated meat (CM), which is grown in vitro from animal cells, rather than raising livestock, provides a new approach to creating meat that is identical to conventional meat. Although Asia was not the first region to invest in CM research, scientists and technologists have made significant strides across the continent in recent years. This article summarizes some of the most notable CM developments and advancements in four Asian countries (China, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore) spanning the areas of research and education, commercialization, and policy and regulation. Moreover, key insights into the challenges and opportunities that Asia’s cultivated meat industry will encounter in the years ahead are also provided.