Federal funding needed for cultured meat research

Dear Editor,

Readers who care about animal welfare should ask Senators Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema to support federal funding for cultured-meat research. Cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughtering nonhumans. It has the potential to eliminate unimaginable levels of suffering. After all, we kill tens of billions of land animals and over a trillion aquatic animals for food every year.

Ending this violence is more plausible than you think. A growing number of companies are developing cultured-meat products. Even Tyson Foods, the slaughtered-meat giant, has invested in the sector. However, costs of these humane options will need to be reduced for them to be successful. This can only be achieved by further research. The federal government should support it.

Jon Hochschartner

Granby, CT