Will Poland be a powerhouse in growing meat on glass? There’s a lot of money on the table

According to a report by Systemiq, by 2050, cell-cultured meat may contribute from EUR 1 to EUR 4 billion annually to the Polish economy. Cell cultured meat aims to produce the same meat as what we eat today, but produced in fermenters like those used to brew beer. Will Poland take advantage of this opportunity? There is a chance for big money in the future.

There is potential

Thanks to the well-developed biotechnology and drug production sector Poland has the potential to develop a market for the production of cell-cultured meat worth up to EUR 4 billion by 2050, – this is at least the result of the latest analysis “The future of cell-cultured meat in Europe”. This result would compare it to the bread market, but it will require significant political and EU support. However, if the investments turned out to be successful, the potential of the export market for cell-cultured meat produced in Poland may amount to between EUR 100 and 800 million by 2050 and create up to 7,000 jobs. new jobs.

Companies in Great Britain are already working hard on test-tube meat. The first application in the European Union for approval of this type of products was submitted in July, and its assessment by EU food safety regulatory authorities is expected to take up to 18 months. Interestingly, there are over 50 startups in Europe working on cell-cultured meat, from infrastructure to end products. In Poland, this includes LabFarm, which recently received PLN 9 million in support from the Polish National Center for Research and Development.

There are more advantages

It is worth emphasizing that the production of cell-cultured meat is intended to provide products such as poultry, pork, beef and seafood, no different from the meat we eat today, but produced in fermenters – such as those used to brew beer – and not through breeding animals. With global meat consumption expected to increase by up to 30 percent by 2050, cell-cultured meat can complement conventional meat while increasing food security, reducing climate emissions and creating green jobs and economic growth.

Early research suggests that producing cell-cultured meat would require significantly less land than conventional meat production, freeing up land for sustainable agriculture. It could also increase food security by almost quadrupling the share of organic farming in Poland. Cell cultured meat can be produced without the use of antibiotics, which helps reduce the risk of increased antimicrobial resistance. In the case of global warming, we are even talking about the possibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 92% when it comes to beef alone.