The public hearing organised as part of the Beyond Conflict: Role of Conflict in Resilience Building project is to take place on 20 April from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Kampus Hybernská. The event will beheld in Czech.

Meat produced without the need to kill a farm animal. This is a plot line from a science fiction novel, but a technology that is already becoming a reality in some countries. The technology in question is the so-called lab-grown meat, which can be produced outside the animal’s body using animal cell culture technologies. These technologies, referred to as cell-based agriculture, are linked to visions of sustainable food systems that could reduce the environmental impact of current livestock production while ensuring sufficient food for the global population. However, every technology is a double-edged sword: it can bring new opportunities and benefits – such as contributing to food self-sufficiency and more sustainable food production – but at the same time create uncertainties and have unpredictable impacts.

The public hearing will provide a forum for open discussion of the benefits and challenges of cell-based agriculture and for collectively envisioning possible futures for food. In the first part of the event, experts from the academia and company representatives will present various perspectives on the development and potential of these technologies – ranging from production possibilities to environmental issues and broader societal impacts. Their presentations will be followed by an interactive session where we will discuss and imagine together what future food systems incorporating these technologies might look like.

What opportunities does cellular agriculture offer? What risks and questions does it raise? And how does it fit into the broader search for sustainable and equitable food systems?