Could Lab Grown Food Be a Solution to the Global Food Crisis?

Emi Curtis

May 14, 2023

Over the years, there has been a countless number of scientific innovations in the field of food. Whether it be creating genetically modified crops that are resistant to flooding or formulating new biopesticides to hinder insects and pests, all of these advancements aim to help combat the growing problem of the global food crisis.

This rise in global hunger is a dire situation as more than 345 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity in 2023. A big reason for this ongoing worldwide food shortage is the climate crisis. Climate change, leading to extreme weather, destroys crops, and human activity, such as pollution, wipes out populations of essential species. One such population is the world’s supply of fish which is estimated to face a full collapse by 2050. However, in the past few years, breakthroughs in cultured fish have created hope that we may be able to stop this extinction from happening.

What is cultured fish?

Cultured fish is fish that is made from lab grown tissues taken from a living fish. Unlike the regular method for producing fish for consumption, lab grown fish does not harm any animals and is sustainable. Cultured fish is made by extracting cells from a fish and then combining them with an array of nutrients and macromolecules to make them divide, multiply, and mature. Some of these nutrients include glucose, amino acids, peptides, vitamins, and growth

factors such as hormones. The cells are then placed in a bioreactor to grow, and are later harvested as an edible protein structure similar to ground meat. From here, there are many different paths that companies can take before they have their finished product. Cultured fish producers may choose to sell this ground-meat-like fish, but can also use a 3D printing process to make a flaky filet texture or create a delicate filet-like scaffold for the fish cells to fill. This method for fish production is not only limited to fish, but has been used to create beef, pork, and chicken as well. Advancements in sustainable science like cultivated fish provide a bright future for our planet and contribute to the effort to combat global issues such as the climate crisis.