Browsing by Author "McPartlin, Maria"

Cellular agriculture is a novel food production technology that utilizes tissue engineering techniques to culture muscle cells to make cultured meat, or microbes and fermenting to create proteins such as casein, albumin and collagen which can be processed to products similar to milk and egg white for example. This thesis aims to explore the challenges that cellular agriculture faces in terms of policy, politics and the society mainly in a Finnish context, but also observing EU regulations. These challenges were investigated by interviewing altogether 15 representatives of stakeholder groups, which are political parties, government administration, organizations of policy executioners, NGO’s, food-tech companies, -funds and research centres. The data from the interviews was transcribed and processed in Atlas.ti-software using the analysis of qualitative content -method. The processed data was then analysed using the analysis of a specialist interview -method. The study revealed that specialists agree that cellular agriculture products will follow EU Novel Food regulations, but that cellular agriculture might have to overcome some regulation-related challenges. Challenges might also arise from markets, consumers and competing with conventionally produced food. Some believed cellular agriculture to have a negative impact on the Finnish society in the form of eroding rural livelihoods, and that the production will be in the hands of large corporations. Many stated that they do not believe cellular agriculture will surpass conventional agriculture, but that it will become just another food innovation. Some believed cellular agriculture offers great possibilities in the form of more sustainable food production. Many of the statements of the interviewees reflected current events already underway in the cellular agriculture and alternative protein field. The challenges cellular agriculture will face are multifaceted, and more information is still needed, especially on the societal effects of cellular agriculture.