The Dual Future of Sustainable Meat: Challenges and Opportunities in Conventional Animal Production and Cultivated Meat

As the global population grows, the meat industry must increase production sustainably. This review summarizes challenges and opportunities in both animal-based and cultivated meat production. For animal-based systems, strategies include genetic breeding for desirable traits, improved feed efficiency via additives and management, and innovative farming to mitigate carbon emissions. Cultivated meat, though still emerging, requires expanding stem cell sources and bioreactor capacity, supported by 3D scaffolds and advanced culture technologies. High costs of serum-free media remain a barrier but may be overcome by reducing fetal bovine serum or using cost-effective growth factors. Harnessing sustainable energy and AI to optimize bioprocesses and resource allocation can make cultivated meat a viable, scalable alternative to conventional production. Overall, by integrating advances in traditional animal farming with bioprocess optimization and AI to overcome scalability and economic hurdles, this dual strategy positions sustainable meat production as a key solution to meet rising global demand.