I respectfully disagree that ranchers are trying to use the government to destroy new technology. Rather, they're voicing valid concerns along the same lines of farmers 20 years ago who were concerned about Monsanto, and look where that's lead us.... Not toward a healthier future, and not towards larger profits for farmers.
If anything, the new technology would destroy ranchers, and while it may not be intentional, the government will lean in their favor if lab-produced meat is more profitable. This is assuming that we're all in understanding about government and FDA being in the business of profits - not health, morality, or the well-being of society.
I am not against new technology or anything that benefits humanity.. But if we ask ourselves why is this technology gaining traction while water/air/waste-fueled vehicles do not? Because of money, power, and influence. The ranchers have a right to be scared, the establishment will run them into the ground and in 15 years "real meat" will be seen as just as much of a "threat to public safety" as raw milk.
Maybe I'm paranoid but I could see this being an in way to declare that real meat is unsafe and un-hygenic, while only lab-grown meat is FDA approved to produce and sell. The only "Established interest" in this situation are those with the biggest ties to the investors and developers of this lab meat. If it's more profitable than ranching, it will destroy ranching regardless of whether it's healthy or not.
I’m not sure if you’ve seen industrial meat farming, but it isn’t sanitary and can border on cruelty. Some use bleach to wash the meat and pump them full of antibiotics. I don’t care if industrial cattle ranchers go out of business. It’s probably about time. I do think that if ranchers still want to farm cattle using the traditional methods that’s fine , but they don’t deserve protection.
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Absolutely, industrial meat farming is pretty disgusting and I've seen it all, no argument about that. Traditional methods is what I'm getting at, I should have clarified. I just worry when these kind of new food technologies come around, as the USDA has a tendency to favor them, even against the warnings of their own scientists . Always about money.
If society were more willing to promote traditional farming and the purchase of local foods, we'd be in a better position but that's become harder and harder to do thanks to ridiculous regulations. Also, prices are higher for traditionally farmed meat, and thanks to our flawed system, people rely on industrially farmed foods to survive. I suppose what's seen as progress is not always a good thing, nor reversible. I for one simply don't want to eat any kind of meat grown in a lab, however, I'm not in favor of the industrial methods either.
I am trying to find more info about the potential problems with lab-grown meat but there's not enough info out there yet as it's a rather new and protected process.
This other article published yesterday by @doitvoluntarily is good, too - in regards to failure of foresight.