Monbiot would probably love nothing more than to see those farmers pushed off their land and forced to eat "precision fermented" foods made in a factory. He just wrote a book about it. This is his vision of a sustainable future for all of humanity.https://t.co/1jayKkI1FR
— W. Aaron Vandiver (@VandiverAuthor) January 23, 2023
George Monbiot: Embrace what may be the most important green technology ever. It could save us all
Excerpt: Let’s focus for a moment on technology. Specifically, what might be the most important environmental technology ever developed: precision fermentation.
Precision fermentation is a refined form of brewing, a means of multiplying microbes to create specific products. It has been used for many years to produce drugs and food additives. But now, in several labs and a few factories, scientists are developing what could be a new generation of staple foods.
The developments I find most interesting use no agricultural feedstocks. The microbes they breed feed on hydrogen or methanol – which can be made with renewable electricity – combined with water, carbon dioxide and a very small amount of fertiliser. They produce a flour that contains roughly 60% protein, a much higher concentration than any major crop can achieve (soy beans contain 37%, chick peas, 20%). When they are bred to produce specific proteins and fats, they can create much better replacements than plant products for meat, fish, milk and eggs. And they have the potential to do two astonishing things.
