25 September 2024
More and more people are looking for alternatives to meat as clean eating and an environmentally conscious lifestyle has become the norm. Lab-grown meat is set to become a growing part of the world’s diet, and port-centric logistics are helping to reduce the bill.
Lab-grown meat produces less carbon dioxide than traditional meat, and its production costs have rapidly decreased in the last decade. The cost of this “clean meat” has been reduced from $300,000 per serving in 2013 to just $11 today, thanks to advances in clean meat technology, cellular agriculture technology, and increased scale in production.
Although lab-grown meat is not yet available commercially, demand is expected to grow exponentially. Start-ups such as Eat Just and Future Meat Technologies are working on bringing this alternative meat to the mainstream, which includes everything from lab-grown pork to 3D-printed wagyu beef, playing a key role in shaping the future of the meat industry.
As we shift towards a net-zero world, lab-grown meat will be in high demand, and to transport these alternative meat options from manufacturer to consumer, both lab-grown meat producers and retailers must take a close look at their supply chain. A responsive supply chain will be key and port-centric logistics can play a vital role.
Typically, the supply chains for traditional poultry and meat products can get long and complex. Its short shelf life means maintaining temperature throughout the supply chain is vital and involves significant costs.
Traditional meat also involves several touch points across the supply chain, including farm operations, feedlot operations, and packing, processing, and retail operations. The combination of this leads to a carbon footprint of 22kg CO2 equivalent per kg of live weight.
The process of lab-grown meat production has lower refrigeration costs and does not involve the multiple stages of farming and processing. It offers a new paradigm in which both ports and the planet can benefit. Bioreactors can replace intensive agriculture, and reduced carbon emissions benefit the planet, while ports can benefit from increased demand.
Alternative meat is nothing short of a revolution, and experts predict it will inevitably disrupt the $2.7 trillion global meat market. As a result, the lab-grown meat market will need a supply chain that is responsive to ever-growing demand.
Port-centric logistics will be the key to unlocking the true potential of this market since it achieves significant transportation cost savings, shorter lead times, and more streamlined supply chains.
DP World is a leader in port-centric logistics, whilst our speciality in smarter logistics is an integral part of the supply chain for stakeholders.
Since the 2000s, DP World has built an extensive network of logistics assets. Lab-made meat providers do not have to pay hefty costs for warehouse spaces, instead, they can bring their manufacturer bases closer to key logistic hubs such as ports, allowing them to manufacture on demand.
This benefit is not just restricted to lab-grown meat producers, DP World is also exceptionally well positioned to help retailers decrease time and cost in their supply chains.
Our experience in international markets can identify packets of growth and the agility to place products before consumers.
If the world is to meet the carbon emissions outlined in the Paris Agreement, then laboratory produced meat and DP World’s logistical network will be a key part of the solution.
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