TED Radio Hour features New Harvest

Recently I had the pleasure of being featured on the TED Radio Hour, where we delved into the current arc of cellular agriculture, gave a reality-check, and reflected on how things have changed since my 2021 TED talk.

During our conversation, I discussed how my journey began back in college with a simple yet transformative idea: what if we could grow meat from cells instead of raising and slaughtering animals? This concept has evolved into a groundbreaking field that’s making headlines with innovations like lab-grown hamburgers, meatballs, and even chicken nuggets (you likely know this if you’ve been here a while).

While the progress is laudable (and remarkable, really), there are still serious and significant hurdles to overcome.  While lab-grown meat has been approved for sale in places like Singapore, the reality is that many products currently on the market are mixed with plant-based fillers. This may seem like a letdown compared to the early hype, but it’s actually an important step forward. Cultivating meat at scale and quality comparable to traditional meat remains a complex task (and one we’re working on at New Harvest every single day).

The technology required to grow 3D cuts of meat—like chicken breasts or steaks—is still developing. But the broader goal is even more ambitious: to explore how cell cultivation can revolutionize food production across the board: from cruelty-free foie gras to sustainable vanilla, the potential applications are dynamic. And, of course, when fully realized, can change our relationship to the environment, animals, and conventional, exploitative ways of farming.

Our optimism at New Harvest transcends individual products. We believe that by farming cells, we can usher in a future where our food system serves all, sustainably. That’s why we’re focused on advancing cellular agriculture for the public good. Because cell ag for the public good is cell ag for the planet, too.

If you have 12 minutes to listen to the TED Radio Hour episode, I’d love your feedback. My office “door” is always open.

Thank you for your ongoing support and curiosity. Here’s to rethinking agriculture together.