Making it the first law of its kind in the United States, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis passed a ban on lab-grown meat. SB 1084 to prohibit will prohibit the sale of lab-grown meat throughout Florida.
Desantis said the ban will save beef from the “global elite” as the World Economic Forum is encouraging the world to forgo meat consumption, according to scientist.
“Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals,” DeSantis said. “Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef.”
According to a press release, Florida also took action to support the state’s agriculture and meat industry by:
- Modernizing Florida’s Right to Farm Act to protect reasonable agricultural activities from frivolous lawsuits.
- Signing legislation to ensure that agri-tourism operators qualify for protection against property tax assessments when operating on agricultural lands.
- Simplifying the steps for Florida Farmers to receive sales tax exemptions for agricultural materials.
- Reestablishing funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program in 2022 at $300 million.
- Protecting through that program over 36,000 acres of farmland.
- Investing more than $2.8 billion into Florida’s agricultural industry in The Framework for Freedom Budget.
“Florida is taking a tremendous step in the right direction by signing first-in-the-nation legislation banning lab-grown meat. We must protect our incredible farmers and the integrity of American agriculture. Lab-grown meat is a disgraceful attempt to undermine our proud traditions and prosperity, and is in direct opposition to authentic agriculture,” Wilton Simpson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, said. “I applaud Governor DeSantis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, House Speaker Paul Renner, Senator Jay Collins, and Representative Danny Alvarez for standing up for Florida’s farmers and consumers. Together, we will keep Florida’s agricultural industry strong and thriving.”
According to the World Economic Forum, cultivated meat is an “environmentally-friendly and efficient source of food for an expanding global population” with the potential to “reduce carbon emissions, make land more available for nature and decrease water use,” EcoWatch reported.
Good Meat, a cultivated meat company, said Florida’s new ban is a disappointment.
“In a state that purportedly prides itself on being a land of freedom and individual liberty, its government is now telling consumers what meat they can or cannot purchase,” Good Meat, said in a post. “The law is a setback for everyone: Floridians who deserve the right to eat whatever safe and approved meat they want; Florida’s technology sector, innovators and entrepreneurs; and all those working to stop the worst impacts of climate change.”
Similar initiatives surrounding cultivated meat are being considered in Arizona, Alabama and Tennessee.
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