Prepared & Facilitated by:
Clair Purcell, Lejjy Gafour, & Julian Portilla
LAB SESSION OVERVIEW
Regenerative and cellular agriculture are both on a mission to save our planet, but sometimes it feels like they’re two puzzle pieces that just won't fit together. These two groups are often at odds with each other, with “typical” mindsets and values driving each group that on the surface seem to be in opposition, namely the “natural is best” approach from regenerative farmers and “techno-optimism” for cellular agriculture enthusiasts. At See Change we like to bring people together who might not always talk so we connected these two eco-superheroes to see if they could find common ground and collaborate for change away from harmful food production methods.
Together, we realized the need to not only look at the bigger picture of our food system but also the nitty-gritty details of it. The focus of the lab was to explore whether there are areas of commonality, and whether a greater understanding of each other, and a few hours in an environment that encouraged personal connection and open-mindedness, would illuminate areas of collaboration that might serve to create change away from today’s harmful dominant modes of production.
We discovered US agricultural policy is like the epicenter of our showdown. Big industrial farms chasing subsidies, while sustainability and what consumers really want take a back seat. It's a tug-of-war between profits and mindfulness.
But guess what? We realized there’s more common ground between regenerative and cellular agriculture than division. Both parties agree that there is a need to prioritize nutrition, harness a stronger connection to our food, and some well-deserved respect for the folks working their tails off in the industry. We tackled the intersection of money, politics, communications, and environmental concerns, and began outlining a fairer and greener food system for the future. In our food systems lab report you can dive deeper into the details!
Important terminology to understand before reading:
WTF is Regenerative Agriculture?Regenerative Farming: Regenerative Farming is a way of producing food that results in an ecosystem that regenerates itself, rather than degenerates. While there is a spectrum of practices, during the session there were participants who specialized in a diverse array of production methods including agroforestry, permaculture, and livestock. Common features of regenerative farms or farmlands include biodiversity, crop rotation, animal husbandry, circular systems, soil renewal, water regeneration and others. |
WTF Is cellular agriculture?Cellular Agriculture: Cellular Agriculture is growing foods—meats but also plants like coffee, chocolate and cotton as well as animal byproducts like leather and gelatine—in a lab. A cell is taken from the original species and ‘cultivated’ - given nutrients known as cultured media and allowed to grow in various forms. It is then ‘harvested’ and turned into a consumer-ready product. |
