President of Christian Animal Rights Association Talks Cultivated Meat
Matthew A. King is a registered nurse licensed in the state of Pennsylvania. He is the president of the Christian Animal Rights Association, which he co-founded with his wife, Nina. Matthew is the author of I Will Abolish the Bow: Christianity, Personhood, and the End of Animal Exploitation, as well as the upcoming Meat: The New Cigarette.
SLAUGHTER-FREE AMERICA: When and how did you first learn about cultivated meat?
MATTHEW A. KING: I believe on Facebook I read an article in 2017 that spoke with Uma Valeti from Upside Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) and their quest to bring cultivated meat to market.
SFA: How did you come to support cultivated meat?
MAK: I had a realization in 2020 that it’s unlikely that widespread veganism will be adopted. The numbers have certainly increased but it seems to be human nature to keep inflicting harm on animals for trivial reasons. It may take several centuries for humans to reach that kind of singular awareness of our harms to animals, but the animals and the planet don’t have that kind of time.
SFA: Once cultivated meat is cheaper than and indistinguishable or superior in taste to slaughtered meat, what sort of impact might it have on traditional agriculture?
I am hoping that it completely disrupts animal agriculture as we know it. It would be a huge service to the animals, the planet, and humans to have a food system that is not so violent and harmful to all sentient beings. At this point, anything would be an improvement over the CAFO and factory farm system.
SFA: How has your organization dealt with the issue of cultivated meat?
MAK: There has been discussion about how Christian Animal Rights Association will grapple with cultivated meat. We advocate veganism as it reflects God’s ideal in Eden (Genesis 1:29–30), and veganism is implied to be reinstated for all eternity on the New Earth (Isaiah 11:6–9), after Jesus returns (Matthew 24:30). God only allowed meat (Genesis 9:3) after he called humanity, “evil” in Genesis 8:21.
We obviously don’t advocate for meat right now as it requires slaughter and is seen as less ideal in the Bible. As of right now, or at least as far as I know, cultivated meat requires fetal bovine serum (FBS), which requires the death of calves. I have heard that they are working on a synthetic alternative. When they are able to make cultivated meat without the death of animals, we as an organization will have to discuss advocating for it as opposed to traditional meat.
The only worry is if by supporting it would we perpetuate the idea that animals are food? Regardless of the questions, it has potential to make it so that animals no longer have to die for food. Our organization does support cultivated meat for companion obligate carnivores, like cats and snakes, as they require the flesh of animals. Whereas humans eat meat almost exclusively out of pleasure and habit, not because its necessary.
SFA: What would you say to activists who are opposed to cultivated meat?
MAK: I would say that perfection can be the enemy of good. I would love the entire world to embrace veganism, but what is the likelihood of that? The most important question we need to ask is not how we can get more people to go vegan. The most important question is, how can we stop 70 billion farm animals from suffering? How can we stop the damage being done to our planet? Any invention or solution to those problems must be welcomed by virtually any means.
SFA: Would you eat cultivated meat, or is it just something you want available for others?
MAK: I personally would not. I think it’s great for those who absolutely will not give up meat no matter the negative effects.
SFA: Do you think activists should expend energy and resources to help advance cellular agriculture, by pushing for government funding for cultivated-meat research and subsidies?
MAK: I think so. My wife and I personally donate to New Harvest, which is a non-profit dedicated to advancing the science behind cultivated meat. There is another one too called The Good Food Institute that activists can support. I highly recommend helping these organizations with donations or other assistance. I absolutely think activists should commit time and energy into pushing for government funding for cultivated meat subsidies and research. The faster we can get cultivated meat onto the market, the more we can help animals and the planet.