A new RSPCA podcast has delved into the advancing world of cultivated or lab-grown meats, and asks whether technology could revolutionise our food system and our reliance on millions of farm animals to feed us.

In the second episode of the charity's Animal Futures podcast, host, journalist and broadcaster Kate Quilton talks to Riley Jackson, Marketing Manager at Ivy Farm Technologies about the wagyu and Angus beef they are making in labs.

She also chats to David Halpern CBE, who is President Emeritus to the Behavioural Insights Team, commonly known as the 'Nudge Unit', about the role governments have played in 'nudging' us to think differently about food.

The conversation discusses whether cultivated meat could be a game changer for animal welfare and the environment, how this technology is currency progressing, and what it could take to change people's behaviour around the food they eat.

It comes amid estimates that the world's population will grow to 9.7billion by 2050, posing major question marks about whether current food systems are sustainable - making a discussion about alternative proteins "more important than ever".

The episode is being released as part of RSPCA Animal Futures: the Big Conversation which is asking everyone in the UK to get involved and have their say about the future they want to see for animals in 2050.

Gemma Hope, RSPCA Assistant Director of Policy, Advocacy and Evidence, said: "We really hope this podcast episode gives listeners food for thought. 

"Food can sometimes be a polarising subject but the reality is that our current food system is not sustainable and cannot cope with the rate of population growth worldwide. 

"We need to have these challenging conversations about what the future might look like, how we can support farmers, embrace technology and be open-minded to change in order to create a more sustainable, environmentally conscious and animal welfare friendly food system which works for us all. Amid a growing global population, these discussions are more important than ever. So this episode asks the question - what is cultivated meat, and would you eat it?

"We want as many people as possible to have their say - and get involved in the Big Conversation by telling us the future they want to see for our food system, and for animals."

What is cultivated meat?

It involves taking a sample from an animal and placing the cells in a bioreactor to then create meat products. This means much less animals need to be reared and slaughtered.

This week's episode sees Riley Jackson from Ivy Farm discuss how the company is creating wagyu and Angus beef cultivated meat and her hopes that in future this could be in restaurants and on supermarket shelves in as little as two years. This comes amid news that a dog treat made from cultivated meat has gone on sale in the UK in what is described as a 'world first'.

Riley says: "Agriculture is the backbone of society so we want to support those people and if this is positioned as a help rather than a replacement, it gives the opportunity for farmers to choose more humane practices, smaller herds, and be more environmentally friendly."

Currently, 80% of arable land is used for animal agriculture despite this only making up 18% of the calories we consume which Riley points out is 'just not an efficient way to feed people'.

She explains that Ivy Farm is working with Governments in the UK, US and Singapore to get regulatory approval-  and the aim is to launch here first as the UK has proven to be receptive to alternative proteins.

Image provided by Ivy Farms shows spaghetti meatballs from cultivated meat.

Later in the episode, Kate Quilton also speaks to David Halpern CBE about how our attitudes and behaviours towards food have changed over the years. This includes the marketing of the humble potato in the 1600s as a 'Royal' food in order to make something that seemed strange and unfamiliar suddenly exclusive and aspirational!

David explains that 'nudge theory' has been used to influence these food choices - the process of gently encouraging people to make certain decisions by subtly influencing their choices. Most people prefer to stick with the default option, he explains, so by presenting them with the healthier, humane meal option first, the theory is that most people will stick with that choice and ignore the unhealthy, less humane option.

David also cites Henry Dimbley's groundbreaking National Food Strategy Report which called for a 30% reduction in meat consumption over the next ten years. This is consistent with the UK Government's own Climate Change Committee which said we must reduce the amount of meat we eat by 20-50% for the UK to reach net-zero by 2050.

David says we should be optimistic about the future, adding: "With the wit and the wisdom and a slightly brave Government, and other people mobilising around it, we could do the Dimbley proposals. It's very easy to imagine a world in which we are eating less meat, particularly red meat, introducing new foods like lab-grown foods, you can see a glide path towards a better food system which works for consumers, works for farmers and works for retailers, which is definitely within our grasp, and certainly by 2050."

The key, he says, is to make new and unfamiliar choices the mainstream which Riley and plenty of other companies working on cultivated meats certainly hope their products will one day become - but what do you think?  To find out more and take part in the Big Conversation, visit rspca.org.uk/bigconversation.

The podcast is available on all major platforms - including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon and YouTube, with audio and video available.