Why We Can't Count On The Test-Tube Burger To Solve World Hunger

Why We Can't Count On The Lab-Meat Burger To Solve World Hunger
A beef burger created by stem cells harvested from a living cow is held for a photograph by Mark Post, a Dutch scientist, following a Bloomberg Television interview in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The 5-ounce burger, which cost more than 250,000 euros ($332,000) to produce, was developed by Post of Maastricht University with funding from Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A beef burger created by stem cells harvested from a living cow is held for a photograph by Mark Post, a Dutch scientist, following a Bloomberg Television interview in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The 5-ounce burger, which cost more than 250,000 euros ($332,000) to produce, was developed by Post of Maastricht University with funding from Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The hamburger grown from stem cells in a lab may have tasted kind of bad, but that didn't seem to dampen hopes for its revolutionary potential:

"[Burger creator Mark] Post said that lab-cultured meat can play an important role in the future: Not only could it help feed the planet, but it also could help solve environmental problems stemming from conventional meat production," the Washington Post reported.

"Scientists hope that being able to make meat in labs will help combat world hunger and slow climate change," one report's kicker read.

In an editorial, Canada's Globe and Mail said the Frankenburger could become "a cheap supply of protein that could help reduce hunger around the world."

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