How I Learned to Love Shrimp David Kay on the emerging cultivated meat industry
Mar 18, 2025
David Kay, the first employee at Upside Foods and an MBA student at Harvard, offers a captivating look into the cultivated meat industry. He discusses the balance between environmental, health, and animal welfare messaging, and shares his unique journey from animal advocacy to the forefront of cultivated meat innovation. Key topics include significant challenges like political polarization, the distinction between cultivated and plant-based meats, and the recent FDA approval of cultivated pork fat. Kay emphasizes the vital role of collaboration and elite institutions in shaping a sustainable future for alternative proteins.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Centering Animal Welfare
- Centering animal welfare, instead of just environmental or health concerns, is crucial in certain contexts.
- This approach normalizes animal welfare as a serious ESG issue, especially in elite institutions.
Institutional vs. Individual Change
- Institutional change is more impactful than individual dietary change.
- Many effective animal advocates aren't vegan or vegetarian, prioritizing institutional work.
Beef Jerky vs. Cashews
- A study showed people eating beef jerky rated cows as morally less valuable than those eating cashews.
- Our actions can influence our thoughts, highlighting the value of dietary change alongside advocacy.
