Small biopsies can grow cow cells outside of a cow

Billions of dollars have been pumped into the promise of a climate-friendly way of producing meat, but is growing a steak in a lab any better for the planet than rearing a cow on a farm? Supporters of the idea say it will dramatically reduce the impact of livestock, which is responsible for about 15% of the world’s planet-warming gases, as well as returning huge amounts of land to nature. But studies suggest cultivating meat in a lab might actually be worse for the planet, at least in the long-run – we put both claims to the test. Plus, ten years on from the unveiling of the world’s first lab-grown meat, we ask why it’s still only available to buy at one restaurant in Singapore, and only on Thursdays.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: Tasneem Karodia, co-founder of Mzansi Meat, in South Africa; John Lynch, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Oxford, in the UK; Nick Marsh, the BBC’s Asia business correspondent, in Singapore

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Matt Toulson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill