Dairy 3.0: cellular agriculture and the future of milk

Abstract

Animal-derived and plant-derived dairy products will soon be joined by dairy produced using fermentation-derived cellular agriculture. Most cellular agriculture literature focuses on “cultured meats,” but fermentation-derived dairy products are likely to reach consumer markets earlier as the technological barriers are much lower. An analysis of literature on dairy and on broader cellular agriculture literature suggests several barriers to adoption, including acceptance of technology, cultural capital associated with animal-based products, and policies that define parameters for producing and marketing dairy alternatives. This paper positions fermentation-derived dairy products within the dialogs on dairy alternatives and on cellular agriculture, identifying key areas that scholars, policymakers, and industry need to address before Dairy 3.0 reaches grocery shelves.