This new law prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells
Alabama has become the second U.S. state to ban cultivated meat, a type of alternative protein made from animal cells. The legislation, introduced by Sen. Jack Williams, vice chair of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee, was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey. This new law prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells, according to the local media.
This decision follows closely after Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a similar bill on May 1, making it the first state to ban lab-grown meat. During a press conference marking the start of National Beef Month, DeSantis expressed support for traditional agriculture, stating, “We stand with agriculture, we stand with the cattle ranchers, we stand with our farmers because we understand it’s important for the backbone of the state.” He also criticised what he described as the “global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals.”
In Florida, beef cattle and breeding stock sales generate over $900 million annually, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Beef production is a significant topic in climate change discussions due to its contribution to global methane emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that a single cow produces between 154 to 264 pounds of methane gas per year. With approximately 1.5 billion beef cattle worldwide, this results in at least 231 billion pounds of methane released into the atmosphere annually.
