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In vitro Meat: The Normative Power of a Vision in the Innovation and Transformation Process

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Abstract

The current production of meat and the high meat consumption have negative effects on humans, animals and the environment. A sustainable reorientation of mass production and mass consumption is not possible. However, a technological solution is in sight: in vitro meat is presented as an innovation which may solve the problems of today’s meat production and consumption without giving up on meat. We interviewed experts and stakeholders and confronted them with the vision of this innovation. The results of these interviews provide an insight in current visions and imaginations of possible futures that shows which particular challenges result from assessing the emerging technology in vitro meat, also beyond in vitro meat itself.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For a more exhaustive discussion of these methods see Grunwald (2004), (2012), (2015).

  2. 2.

    See https://www.itas.kit.edu/projekte_loes14_luv.php. The approach developed in the project goes beyond the method of classical vision assessment and includes the analysis of the practical effects of such visions on development processes and innovation dynamics.

  3. 3.

    https://www.vier-pfoten.de/kampagnen-themen/themen/ernaehrung/clean-meat, https://www.animalequality.de/neuigkeiten/9-25-2015-das-fleisch-der-zukunft.

  4. 4.

    https://www.animalequality.de/neuigkeiten/9-25-2015-das-fleisch-der-zukunft.

  5. 5.

    https://www.vier-pfoten.de/kampagnen-themen/themen/ernaehrung/clean-meat.

  6. 6.

    http://www.bioland.de/im-fokus/artikel/article/fleisch-aus-dem-labor-braucht-kein-mensch.html.

  7. 7.

    https://www.abendblatt.de/wirtschaft/article213027865/Wiesenhof-setzt-auf-kuenstliches-Fleisch-aus-dem-Labor.html.

  8. 8.

    https://www.presseportal.de/pm/58964/3832376.

  9. 9.

    https://www.topagrar.com/news/Home-top-News-Bauernbund-gegen-Kunstfleisch-Konzerne-greifen-erneut-nach-Macht-bei-Lebensmitteln-8991760.html.

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Interviews

  • The expert interviews are tagged with capital letters from A-L, the subsequent number refers to the line number of the interview transcript.

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  • Interview A: Representative of an organic producer association, conducted: 13.6.2016

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  • Interview B: Representative of an animal rights organisation, conducted: 15.6.2016

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  • Interview C: Innovator and researcher, conducted: 15.6.2016

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  • Interview D: Politician, conducted: 16.6.2016

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  • Interview E: Representative of an environmental organisation, conducted: 22.6.2016

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  • Interview I: In vitro meat researcher, conducted: 28.6.2016

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  • Interview J: Tissue engineer, conducted: 30.6.2016

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  • Interview K: Representative of a conventional producer cooperative, conducted: 13.07.2016

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  • Interview L: Representative of a food service company, conducted: 19.07.2016

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Correspondence to Inge Böhm .

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Böhm, I., Woll, S., Ferrari, A. (2019). In vitro Meat: The Normative Power of a Vision in the Innovation and Transformation Process. In: Lösch, A., Grunwald, A., Meister, M., Schulz-Schaeffer, I. (eds) Socio-Technical Futures Shaping the Present. Technikzukünfte, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft / Futures of Technology, Science and Society. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-27155-8_10

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