New Zealand to Produce Lab-Grown Fruit

SEP 7 2023·Updated SEP 8 2023

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The Facts

Amid a changing climate that could cause food insecurity, scientists at New Zealand's Plant and Food Research are attempting to grow fruit tissues inside a lab.
Guardian
According to direction co-leader Samantha Baldwin, the idea behind diversifying the country's growing systems is to fill the gaps in the year where there might be "pressure on outdoor production."
1 News
While more than 80 companies across the globe are studying and producing lab-grown meat and seafood, Plant and Food Research is working with cells from blueberries, apples, cherries, feijoas, peaches, nectarines, and grapes.
Newshub
Under its Food by Design program, the Plant and Food Research team will grow only fruit tissue without unwanted parts like pits, cores, and rinds to reduce food waste. Once produced, the fruits will go through clinical trials to ensure they're safe for human consumption.
Guardian
Plant & Food Research scientist Dr. Ben Schon states that using their expertise in cellular horticulture, the team strives to "explore what could become a significant food production system in the future" and "create a new food with equally appealing properties."
Plant & Food Research
New Zealand reportedly produces enough food to feed 40M people, yet 40% of its 5M residents experience food insecurity. According to Stats NZ, food prices in March had grown by 12% compared to 2022 — the greatest jump since 1989.
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The Spin

Narrative A

If regulated and mass-produced ethically, lab-grown or farm-free food could make inexpensive and nutritional food available to everyone on a level never witnessed before by humanity. It will not just aid in global cooling and saving the planet but also increase the probability of eliminating food insecurity worldwide.

Paleo Foundation

Narrative B

While farm-free food may attempt to solve world hunger, the technology will likely push millions of people who work in the farming and food processing industries into unemployment, with dairy farms predicted to collapse into bankruptcy as early as 2030 and the beef industry forecast to drop profits by as much as 90% by 2035.