A farmer-centric analysis of an agri-food transition in the face of potential disruption from cultured meat

The emergence of cultured meat has been presented as a potentially transformative innovation capable of reducing the environmental impacts of food production and reshaping global protein systems. However, little empirical research has examined how farmers—key actors within agri-food transitions—might respond to this potential disruption. This study explores how UK farmers approach an agri-food transition in the face of disruption from cultured meat and considers the implications for a just agri-food transition. Using a qualitative case-study approach, representatives from nine diverse farms across the four devolved nations of the United Kingdom participated in semi-structured interviews about their farm businesses and how they might respond if cultured meat were on the market. Reflexive thematic analysis identified three overarching themes: (1) connectedness, (2) farmers’ positionality within the food system, and (3) the practical knock-on effects of disruption. Although farmers in the study perceived cultured meat as a distant but potentially significant threat, they were optimistically resilient, a perspective borne of the connected nature of the farming community. However, their concerns about knock-on effects extended beyond livestock production to include impacts on rural employment, landscape stewardship, regenerative agriculture and the viability of interconnected agricultural sectors. Participants described being disempowered within existing supply chains, but some expressed a willingness to engage in potential opportunities through supplying inputs, energy, waste-derived products or materials. We argue that achieving a just transition requires meaningfully including farmers in the sustainable development and governance of cultured meat. Therefore, addressing farmers’ positionality in the food system is vital if the cultured meat sector is to establish a sustainable relationship with primary production, despite some advocates aiming to replace animal agriculture, and with it many farmers and their livelihoods. The study contributes novel empirical evidence to debates on cultured meat and agri-food transitions.