BBC journos have a specific editorial style, and no doubt it influenced this headline, but this isn't to "protect food heritage". Food and drink accounts for a quarter of Italy's GDP. It's about money. Italy has a far-right government, which is extremely open to lobbying from that sector, and "heritage" is aligned with their nationalistic stance. Try to look a bit deeper.
Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
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Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#32Unpopular opinion: some controversial cultural heritages need protection. I single out tauromachy, which is incomprehensible to most, moreso the younger generations. The world is a tangle of Chesterton fences, and our righteous moral clariy is our own's worst enemy.
Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am not Italian but think it’s a step in the right direction, but overreaches. I think they should make it law that synthetic meat can’t be called “meat” and that insect ‘flour’ can’t be called “flour”. And should have to be prefaced with “unnatural food product” or similar on all sides of packaging.
Define 'natural product'. I bet there are thousands of items on shelves now that aren't 'natural' but still escape this scrutiny, just due to having been around a while and flying under the radar.
Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#34Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#35This seems no different than the ridiculous laws proposed in some US states recently that would ban EV sales to protect the oil and gas industries. I’m sorry that people could one day lose jobs over this, but if lab-grown meat is proven to be a safe and cost/energy/carbon efficient alternative to raising and killing animals, then it would be insane to not pursue that.
Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#36I am italian, not sure i agree with this. I would have rather allow it (even if I would have probably not bought lab grown meat) and be sure it's well communicated during the sale (either on the package or from the vendor in case it's a butcher shop). Especially because we can't ban Monsanto's GMOs and I don't see how this is worse...
I am not Italian but think it’s a step in the right direction, but overreaches. I think they should make it law that synthetic meat can’t be called “meat” and that insect ‘flour’ can’t be called “flour”. And should have to be prefaced with “unnatural food product” or similar on all sides of packaging.
Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#37Good idea. Europe has enough fertile land to feed itself without GMO or lab grown stuff. No need to take long tail risks.
Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#38Unpopular opinion: some controversial cultural heritages need protection. I single out tauromachy, which is incomprehensible to most, moreso the younger generations. The world is a tangle of Chesterton fences, and our righteous moral clariy is our own's worst enemy.
Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#39If food heritage is so important to the people of Italy, and they agree that lab-grown meat is vastly inferior for all of the claimed reasons, I imagine lab-grown meat as a product would just flop. Why ban it, unless it's all just political theatre?
Conservative national-chauvinist gov't enacts national-chauvinist legislation.
It's "throwing red meat to your base" ... except actually literally, not metaphorically.
Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage
#40Unpopular opinion: some controversial cultural heritages need protection. I single out tauromachy, which is incomprehensible to most, moreso the younger generations. The world is a tangle of Chesterton fences, and our righteous moral clariy is our own's worst enemy.
For the life of me, I cannot understand what is there to protect about killing other living beings for joy or taste.