Protect The Harvest | Italy Pioneers Ban on Lab-Grown Meat

Italy recently made history by becoming the first European Union nation to officially ban the production and sale of lab-grown or cultivated meat, sparking a global debate about the intersection of tradition, innovation and the future of food. The legislation, enacted in November 2023, restricts the cultivation of meat in laboratory bioreactors and places limitations on the use of labels describing and marketing plant-based protein as meat.

As one might expect, the Italian government’s action has been met with support and criticism. Italy’s Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida proudly declared the nation’s commitment to preserving its rich food traditions while protecting its farmers. The law, viewed as protectionist by some, aims to safeguard the age-old relationship between food, land and the human work that has characterized Italy for millennia. Lollobrigida stressed the need to protect workers, agricultural entrepreneurs, and citizens who have the right to “eat well.”

One of the key motivations behind the ban appears to be the desire to shield Italy’s traditional agricultural sector from competition with high-tech alternatives. Italian farmers, who lobbied intensively for the ban, see it as a means to eliminate their high-tech competitors in the cultivated meat industry.