TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- The "steaks" are high in the Florida Legislature, with Gov. Ron DeSantis weighing in on a pair of proposed bills that would ban the cultivation and sale of lab-grown meat products.
While speaking in Hardee County last week, DeSantis slammed the scientific innovation as part of his crusade against "ESG" (environmental, social and governance), a business philosophy that encourages investors to throw their money behind companies with consideration to their handling of environmental and social issues.
DeSantis said ESG proponents are "trying to impose an agenda on society through the economy."
"They really want to go after agriculture, how they do," DeSantis said. "They want to blame agriculture for global warming."
The idea that climate advocates "want to go after" the cattle industry harkens back to the Green New Deal proposal introduced in Congress by Democrats in 2019. The proposal and subsequent committee findings suggested cutting back meat consumption to lower demand for the products, thus reducing the industry's impact on the environment.
The idea has been ridiculed by Republicans ever since, eschewing scientific consensus.
A 2020 study published in the National Library of Medicine, one of many exploring the global impact of the meat industry, found that livestock production is a significant contributing factor to global warming. Red meat production, specifically, has a major impact on the environment.
If passed, HB-435 and its Senate counterpart, SB-586, would ban the production of cultivated meat and threatens to suspend the license of any restaurant or store that sells it. Republicans in the Florida Legislature claim that not enough research has been done to ensure the product's safety.
"I know the legislature is doing a bill to try to protect our meat," DeSantis said. "You need meat, OK? We're going to have meat in Florida. We're not going to do that fake meat. Like, that doesn't work."
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the sale of cultivated meat from two companies: Good Meat Inc. and Upside Foods. Also referred to as "lab-grown meat," the product is grown from animal cells and shaped into familiar forms like burger patties and chicken nuggets.
It is not yet available in stores, but proponents of cultivated meat say the industry has been heavily scrutinized by the FDA and USDA Food Safety Association and that introducing lab-grown meat can help grow the economy.
A spokesperson for Upside Foods said the company "strongly opposes" the proposed legislation, saying it is an attempt to criminalize cultivated meat and "threatens the free market, stifles innovation, and limits consumer choice." The spokesperson reiterated that lab-grown meat products are under the same oversight as conventional meat.
"Our opposition extends beyond our industry; even members of the conventional meat sector stand against it. We urge policymakers to reconsider, recognizing the broader consequences on the economy, innovation, and consumer freedom in Florida."
Spokesperson for Upside Foods
Though touted as a more environmentally-friendly meat alternative, a 2023 study from University of California, Davis, suggests that lab-grown meat may actually be worse for the climate, as the cultivation process is energy-intensive. The study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, concluded that more research is needed.
Lobbyists representing groups on both sides of the issue appeared on the Florida bills' Lobbyist Disclosure & Information pages, including Food Solutions Action, a PAC championing "alternative proteins," and the Florida Cattlemen's Association.