Sarah Kunze, a PhD candidate specializing in the philosophy and cultural geography of cellular agriculture, explores cultivated meat as a complex intersection of ethical promise and systemic risk. Through a “more-than-human” lens, she investigates whether this technology can truly shift animal agriculture toward a “degrowth” model—transforming animals from objects to subjects—or if it will simply reinforce existing technocapitalist power structures and create elite products for the wealthy. Her research highlights a “care paradox,” balancing the utilitarian benefits of reduced slaughter against the ethics of care regarding how cells are harvested and how farmers’ relationships with their livestock might evolve. Ultimately, Kunze advocates for a systemic approach to food innovation that prioritizes global food justice and includes the voices of farmers and lab workers to ensure technology serves to transform, rather than merely supplement, our current problematic food systems.
Source: Cultivated meat: big promises, but will it deliver? – Resource online