The Uncertain Making of Law: Controversies and Political Framings Around Cellular Meat in France

Cellular meat is at the centre of a growing socio-technical controversy in France. While it is promoted as a sustainable alternative to conventional meat, its regulation raises political, legal and ethical challenges. Taking a socio-legal and pragmatic approach, this article examines how socio-technical controversies expressed in public debates and institutional framings shape the emerging regulatory framework. It sheds light on the mechanisms through which certain voices and concerns are amplified in the legislative process, while others remain marginalised. Drawing on documentary research, interviews and French parliamentary debates on cellular meat, the study shows how law operates as a site of negotiation where competing values and interests are translated into norms. By examining the case of cellular meat, the article emphasises the importance of understanding law not as a fixed set of rules, but as a living practice shaped by controversies, narratives and power relations. Taken together, this perspective offers valuable insights into the challenges of regulating emerging food technologies in complex and plural societies, and highlights the need for inclusive and context-sensitive regulation.