The Oil Drum

There's a wonderful scifi story by Arthur C Clarke where the meat produced in vats turns out to be one almost everyone today, regardless of religion or lack of it, would be reluctant to eat... :)

The important question, though, is what's in the "nutrient solution"? It may be that vat-grown meat wouldn't reduce the required inputs much. Logically it should reduce the required inputs because you're only supporting the meat, not the bones, brain, blood and guts - but then, it might need more concentrated stuff.

For example, according to The Rapid Growth of Human Populations, one-third of the world's wild fish catch goes to farmed fish. According to this powerpoint presentation, wild fish catch is about 76Mt, and farmed fish are 36Mt. So if 25Mt of wild goes to help produce 36Mt farmed, the net gain is actually 11Mt.

Thus, fish available for human consumption are not 76Mt wild + 36Mt farmed or 112Mt, but 51Mt wild + 36Mt farmed or 87Mt.

Who knows about the inputs to this vat meat? We'd have to see some proper write-ups of it, rather than just enthusiastic news pieces.