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Are you interested in cultivated and lab-grown meat?

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Our summary today works with the white paper titled Cultivated meat and consumers – 2023 consumer trends and insights for the cultivated meat industry from 2023 by Magic Valley, published on their website.

This is a great preparation to our next interview with Paul Bevan in episode 238 talking about cultivated meat.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we could get our proteins in cities without huge animal involvement. This white paper explores consumer perceptions and acceptance of cultivated meat from 2023.

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Welcome to today’s What is The Future For Cities podcast and its Research episode; my name is Fanni, and today I will introduce a research paper by summarising it. The episode really is just a short summary of the original paper, and, in case it is interesting enough, I would encourage everyone to check out the whole paper. Stay tuned until because I will give you the 3 most important things and some questions which would be interesting to discuss.

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Cultivated meat, also known as cultured or lab-grown meat, represents a revolutionary approach to meat production. By culturing animal cells, companies like Magic Valley can produce real animal meat without the need to raise and slaughter animals. This method holds the promise of addressing various ethical, environmental, and health concerns associated with conventional animal agriculture. The white paper explores consumer perceptions and acceptance of cultivated meat within the Melbourne Metropolitan area, aiming to provide insights into the potential market and consumer readiness for this innovative product.

The research conducted in this white paper aims to achieve four primary objectives:

1. Investigate Consumer Sentiment: Understanding the overall consumer sentiment towards cultivated meat.
2. Profile Consumer Demographics: Identifying specific demographic groups that are more inclined to purchase and consume cultivated meat.
3. Understand Consumer Preferences: Exploring the reasons why consumers might prefer cultivated meat over traditionally farmed alternatives.
4. Examine Consumer Hesitations: Analysing the factors that contribute to consumer hesitations in adopting cultivated meat products.

The survey targeted 150 participants aged 16 to 54 from the Melbourne Metropolitan area, recruited via the Pollfish market research platform. The sample was diverse in terms of income, education, and age, with 28% being Gen Z, 50% Millennials, and 22% Gen X. The majority (92%) followed an omnivorous diet, while smaller percentages were flexitarians (4%) or non-meat eaters (4%). A significant finding was that 49% of respondents had never heard of cultivated meat before the survey, highlighting a substantial awareness gap. Addressing this gap is crucial for fostering acceptance and interest in cultivated meat.

Overall, 69% of respondents expressed interest in purchasing cultivated meat, indicating a promising market potential in Melbourne. Interest levels varied among dietary groups, with 83% of non-meat eaters, 100% of flexitarians, 61% of occasional meat eaters, and 78% of daily meat eaters showing interest in cultivated meat. This widespread interest suggests that cultivated meat appeals to a broad audience, including those who are currently regular meat consumers.

Consumers ranked price, nutrition, and taste as the top factors influencing their likelihood of purchasing cultivated meat. Magic Valley’s products are expected to be cost-competitive with traditional meat in the long term. Additionally, the ability to customize the nutritional profile of cultivated meat and positive feedback from tasting events enhance its appeal. These factors collectively position cultivated meat as a desirable alternative to conventional meat products.

Among respondents who were not interested in purchasing cultivated meat, 63% cited a lack of information as their primary reason. Other concerns included distrust in the product (41%), a general disinterest in eating meat (11%), and various other reasons (7%). This indicates a critical need for educational initiatives to provide clear and transparent information about the cultivation process, safety, nutritional value, and sustainability of cultivated meat.

There is a high potential for consumer acceptance of cultivated meat in Melbourne, driven by ethical, health, and sustainability considerations. However, significant gaps in awareness and information need to be addressed to fully realize this potential. By focusing on educating consumers and highlighting the benefits of cultivated meat, stakeholders can foster a more informed and receptive market. The findings underscore a growing demand for alternative meat products that align with contemporary values and dietary preferences.

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What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Do you have any follow up question? Let me know on Twitter at WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the transcripts and show notes are available! Additionally, I will highly appreciate if you consider subscribing to the podcast or on the website. I hope this was an interesting paper for you as well, and thanks for tuning in!

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Finally, as the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:

1. Cultivated meat offers a sustainable, ethical alternative to traditional meat by producing real animal meat from cultured cells without slaughtering animals.
2. Price, nutrition, and taste are the top factors driving consumer interest in cultivated meat, with many finding it appealing due to its ethical, health, and sustainability benefits.
3. By focusing on educating consumers and highlighting the benefits of cultivated meat, stakeholders can foster a more informed and receptive market.

Additionally, it would be great to talk about the following questions:

1. What do you think about cultivated meat?
2. How do you think cultivated meat would change our lives if becomes easily accessible and cheap?
3. How would cultivated meat change the face of our planet if becomes easily accessible and cheap?

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