Addressing current ecological impediments in Pakistan through lab-grown meat

Abstract

Abstract The environment and food security are seriously threatened by the growing demand for food brought on by Pakistan’s expanding population. Lab-grown meat has been proposed globally as a sustainable alternative because it offers reductions of up to 96% in water use, 99% in land use, 45% in energy use, and 96% in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional meat production. It also has the potential to address ethical and health issues. Although research on lab-grown meat has advanced globally, this is the first empirical study to look at consumer acceptance and awareness in Pakistan. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how consumer acceptance and rejection are influenced by awareness, perceived benefits and concerns, and socio-demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional online survey was used to collect data from 102 university personnel and students, and the data were analyzed in R. The results showed that acceptability levels are strongly influenced by eco-activism, food preferences, and gender. These findings provide the first empirical evidence on Pakistani consumer perceptions of lab-grown meat and offer insights for researchers, policymakers, climate activists, and meat-industry stakeholders to understand the knowledge gap and the factors driving adoption of lab-grown meat for a sustainable food system.