ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIC PLATFORMS FOR CELLULAR AGRICULTURE: SOCIOECONOMIC, CULTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, LEGAL, WELFARE, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1019556
• Grant No.: 2019-67023-29856
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $519,964.00
• Proposal No.: 2018-08967
• Project Start Date: Jun 15, 2019
• Project End Date: Jun 14, 2025
• Grant Year: 2019
• Program Code: [A1642]- AFRI Foundational - Social Implications of Emerging Technologies

Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
408 Old Main
UNIVERSITY PARK,PA 16802-1505

Performing Department
Agricultural Economics, Sociol

Non Technical Summary
The long-term goal of this research proposal is to explore and explicate the emerging social and bioethical implications of cellular agriculture (i.e. "lab grown meat"), a nascent industry that portends to disrupt traditional livestock production by bioengineering animal products through cell cultures. While cellular agriculture has tremendous potential to address many of the biosecurity, environmental, and ethical concerns that have arisen with respect to conventional animal agriculture, there has been no comprehensive research on how this technology might be developed, deployed and disemminated in a just and equitable manner. Literature in the political economy of agriculture anticipates that much of the public suspicion towards emerging food and agricultural technologies comes down to the simple issue of political and economic power, i.e., who stands to benefit the most from these new technologies, and who has the most resources to advance their interests. Science communication research further shows that if people have little control over the final outcome, and if skepticism about the underlying profit motives of scientific actors undermines their credibility, fears about the potential negative impacts of this technology will magnify. Without public trust in the science, there are also likely to be strong doubts as to the integrity of the decision-making process through which these technologies are approved. Accordingly, our project focuses on the following objectives: Phase I of the project will involve assessing and anticipating the potential impacts of cellular agriculture technologies writ large (social, cultural, economic, agricultural, health, welfare, equity, ethical, environmental, and consumer preference issues); Phase II of the project will apply this foundational knowledge about cellular agriculture to better understand how this technology might be pursued through alternative economic platforms (i.e. open source, member-owned, social corporation, peer to peer, and platform cooperatives); and Phase III of the project will involve public outreach in the form of a consumer survey and web-based profiles of the alternative economic platforms for cellular agriculture. Without doing this research, these questions would remain unanswered, and the chance to facilitate an open and transparent dialogue on these critically important issues may be lost. Our qualitative and quantitative research on this project will be performed by an interdisciplinary team and informed by a diverse set of experts on a faculty advisory council.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

100%

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
803	5010	3080	100%

Knowledge Area
803 - Sociological and Technological Change Affecting Individuals, Families, and Communities;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3080 - Sociology;

Keywords

agricultural economics

cellular agriculture

food ethics

rural sociology

sustainability

Goals / Objectives
Goals: The long-term goals of this research proposal are to (i) explore the socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural impacts of cellular agriculture on farmers, food businesses, consumers, communities, and other stakeholders; and (ii) comprehensively investigate what the field of cellular agriculture might look like if it were to be developed and disseminated through alternative economic platforms. At a time when the technological and institutional structures of cellular agriculture are in their infancy, there is a significant opportunity for researchers to examine the current sociocultural landscape, consider the perspectives of key publics, and offer insights regarding ways to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of this emerging industry.Objectives: (i) We will write 7 mini-reports assessing the relationship between cellular agriculture and social, cultural, economic, equity, ethical, human welfare and consumer preference issues. (ii) We will write complete 11 mini-reports for each of the alternative economic models for cellular agriculture. (iii) We will complete 1 nationally-representative survey of the public that assesses public sentiment towards alternative economic platforms for cellular agriculture. (iv) We will write a final report that synthesizes all of the project findings.

Project Methods
Our project will be guided by the methodological tradition of multi-sited, global ethnography (Burawoy 2000; Gille and Riain, 2002) as we plan to observe human behavior across multiple study sites in order to investigate complex transnational relationships (i.e. the social and ethical implications of cellular agriculture in both domestic and global contexts). For Phase I (Assessment) and Phase II (Application), we will engage in ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews, political-economic and archival analysis, legal and policy analysis, and business and financial analysis. Our sampling methodology for Phase I and Phase II will be rooted in the tradition of theoretical/purposive sampling (Glaser and Strauss 1967; Becker 1998).For Phase III (Outreach), we will continue our use of in-depth interviews while also initiating a consumer survey. Here, we will use the Penn State Survey Research Center to poll a representative sample of Americans. We will gather data on the public's overall perceptions of cellular agriculture as well as determine whether or not the economic platform and public engagement strategies of a (hypothetical) cellular agriculture producer would influence consumers' expressed preferences towards the technology.Qualitative data will be analyzed, evaulated, and interpreted by using the work of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014) which standardized qualitative analysis by separating it into 5 processes: Explore, describe, order, explain and predict. Quantitative data will be analyzed and interpreted through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics using R or IBM SPSS software.Efforts: We plan to (a) incorporate our findings into our team's undergraduate course offerings and (b) work with Penn State Extension experts on our faculty advisory council when reaching out to farmers and other rural stakeholders (see attached letters of support). Online decision-making tools will be developed in consultation with the Rock Ethics Institute, which has successfully produced much of this type of web content in recent years.Evaluation: Qualitative methods will be used to engage stakeholders and solicit their support in identifying the problem(s) and evaluating the quality of our results as they see it (specifically, by reading and commenting on our mini-reports and final report); external partners will also help in evaluation (see letters of support in grant proposal), and our faculty advisory council will annually provide us with interdisciplinary insights and feedback as we evaluate our results.

Progress 06/15/23 to 06/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Per previous reporting, our target audience remained academics across the social and natural sciences, undergraduate and graduate students (through updated course materials and mentorship/assistantship on the grant), policymakers, industry professionals, other stakeholders, and the general public. Changes/Problems:There were two main challenges that we faced during this reporting period, and due to those challenges we requested a 2nd No Cost Extension for this project. First, Co-PI Leland Glenna was dealing with significant family health problems, which meant that the development and administration of our consumer survey got delayed (this was one of the key objectives of our grant). Second, the completion of the survey was further delayed because of a low response rate. Responses to survey requests have been declining for years, and there is some evidence that it declined even more after the pandemic. All of our survey data was collected during the 2023-2024 reporting period, but we needed additional time and support to complete our analysis and deliverables. A no-cost extension that includes another semester of graduate student support, faculty effort, and travel was necessary in order for us to finish our data analysis, complete our peer-reviewed papers, and present the findings at professional conferences. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Our graduate student was trained in both study design and quantitative analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society. Work on the mini-reports was ongoing. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Additional data analysis for the survey needed to be completed.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The survey was completed during this time, and initial work was done on data analyses.

Publications

Progress 06/15/22 to 06/14/23

Outputs
Target Audience:During the 2022-2023 reporting period, our efforts were focused on reaching several key target audiences. These audiences were selected based on their relevance to the project's goals and their potential impact on the advancement of cellular agriculture and alternative protein sources. Academic Researchers and Students: Our primary target audience included academic researchers and students in the fields of rural sociology, communications, food science, agricultural science, and environmental sustainability. We aimed to engage this group through formal classroom instruction, conference presentations, and publications. By targeting this audience, we sought to foster a deeper understanding of cellular agriculture technologies and their implications for the future of food production. Policy Makers and Industry Professionals: We also targeted policymakers and industry professionals in the agri-food biotechnology sector. This audience was reached through policy presentations and general audience publications. By targeting policy makers, we aimed to influence the development of science-based regulations for cellular agriculture and ensure the safety and sustainability of alternative protein sources. Our goal was to provide these professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to ethically advance cellular agriculture and develop innovative solutions for sustainable food production. The general public also benefited from our work in this area. Changes/Problems:Our 2022-2023 work was disrupted and delayed by COVID-19 and the departure of several members of our project team. Co-PI Leland Glenna was also dealing with significant family health problems, which meant that the development and administration of the survey got delayed. As a result, we needed additional time and GA assistance to complete the survey, analyze data and generate papers. We thus requested a no cost extension.Penn State met their cost sharing agreement on the grant, and agreed to provide additional support in the form of tuition waivers to the graduate students working on the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two graduate students were trained in qualitative methods and survey design during this period. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were disseminated through conference publications and a peer reviewed journal article that was written in plain language for a general audience to access it. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?After the 2022-2023 year, project work focuses on completion of the survey and mini reports.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We progressed steadily on our goals and objectives during the 2022-2023 period. Data for the mini-reports continued to be collected; this will be finalized at the conclusion of the project. The inital planning for the nationally representative survey occured during this year.

Publications

• Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Broad, G.M., Chiles, R.M. Thick and thin food justice approaches in the evaluation of cellular agriculture. Nat Food 3, 795797 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00603-x

Progress 06/15/21 to 06/14/22

Outputs
Target Audience:Students working on the project have received first hand experiential learing opportunities in qualitative data collection, analysis, scholarly writing, presentation, web development, and survey design. Other target audiences reached included academic communities, policymakers and the general public (through conference presentations and a USDA workshop). Changes/Problems:Since the cell ag grant was awarded, there have been some budgetary adjustments due to pandemic-related travel restrictions and our external consultant's departure from her previous position at Harvard Law School (Nicole Negowetti). Accordingly, funds over the previous year (and the coming year) have been allocated for 2 graduate research assistantships as opposed to 1 to ensure that the work is getting done. We have also been awarded additional matching from the college to support the 2ndstudent. Negowetti is still actively contributing pro bono in team meetings and as a co-author, and things are moving forward apace. Another future adjustment is that we will likely need to spend more funding on our previously proposed survey in order to ensure a high response rate. Our designated financial officer for this grant at Penn State recently did a full budget review to look more closely at these changes. She concluded that we would be changing less than 10% of our budget as it had originally been proposed, and therefore it did not require prior approval from NIFA. Again, our mission has not changed and we are on schedule to complete all of our target goals. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? By attending these different conferences, and also presenting results, the PI and Co-PIs have significantly advanced his own professional development by learning about organizing digital communities, working across stakeholder groups, different types of licensing strategies for public goods, and other issues that are not regularly covered in his host discipline of rural sociology. The project has also provided significant experiential learning opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students (see previous). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Peer-reviewed journal articles, press releases, conference presentations (academic and policy-oriented) What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Complete the survey and mini-reports, revise manuscripts for publication, write final report.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal ii has been completed. With respect to Goal i, we have explored the socioeconomic, equity, social, human welfare impacts and are beginning to look more closely at the environmental, cultural, health, and consumer preference issues.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Chiles, R. M., & Tami-Barrera, L. M. Same Difference? Policy and ethical implications of gene-editing for livestock, plant-based proteins, and cell-cultured foods. American Sociological Association, online. August 7
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Broad, G., & Chiles, R. M. Is food tech justice possible? Assessing agri-food tech through food justice principles. Joint Annual Meeting and Conference of the Association for the Study of Food and Society, the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society, the Canadian Association for Food Studies, and the Society for Anthropology of Food and Nutrition, online. June 10
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Chiles, R. M., Griffin, M. A., & Baker, S. Situating cellular agriculture in historical and political-economic context: The need for equitable and inclusive food technology. American Sociological Association, New York, NY. August 14
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Chiles, R. M., Griffin, M. A., & Baker, S. Alternative economic platforms for cellular agriculture: More justice, less tyranny? Rural Sociological Society, Richmond, VA. August 8
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Chiles, R. M., & Tami-Barrera, L. M. Policy and ethical implications of gene-editing for livestock, plant-based proteins, and cell-cultured foods. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Gene Editing in Agriculture and Food Conference, hosted by Iowa State University, online. October 20

Progress 06/15/20 to 06/14/21

Outputs
Target Audience:Students working on the project have received first hand experiential learing opportunities in qualitative data collection, analysis, and scholarly writing. Other efforts to reach target audiences (e.g. teaching modules and web-based materials) are ongoing and will come to fruition later in the research process. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?By attending these different conferences, and also presenting results, the PI has significantly advanced his own professional development by learning about organizing digital communities, working across stakeholder groups, different types of licensing strategies for public goods, and other issues that are not regularly covered in his host discipline of rural sociology. The project has also provided significant experiential learning opportunities for students (see previous). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The PI and graduate RA presented on the social implications of gene editing in cellular agriculture at a USDA NIFA workshop; the PI has also spoken to several journalists about his work. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Publish papers, work on our mini-reports, begin work on the survey, and work on maximizing our broader impacts by developing our web-based materials.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We've conducted in-person and online ethnographies of dozens of civil-society knowledge communities, namely, by attending conferences, reviewing online conference materials, and conducting interviews. Initial findings have been used for an academic journal manuscript, and a second manuscript based on in-depth interviews with experts is in progress. We've also collected a significant amount of literature and original data for our mini-reports. The survey won't be launched until later phases of the project.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Chiles, R. M., Broad, G., Glenna, L., Gagnon, M., Negowetti, N., Tami-Barrera, L. M., Griffin, M. A., Baker, S., & Beck, K. (In press). Democratizing ownership and participation in the 4th Industrial Revolution: Challenges and opportunities for cellular agriculture. Agriculture and Human Values.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Chiles, R. M., & Tami-Barrera, L. M. 2020. Policy and ethical implications of gene-editing for livestock, plant-based proteins, and cell-cultured foods. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Gene Editing in Agriculture and Food Conference, hosted by Iowa State University, online. October 20

Progress 06/15/19 to 06/14/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Students working on the project have received first hand experiential learing opportunities in qualitative data collection, analysis, and scholarly writing. Other efforts to reach target audiences (e.g. teaching modules and web-based materials) are ongoing and will come to fruition later in the research process. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?By attending these different conferences, the PI has significantly advanced his own professional development by learning about organizing digital communities, working across stakeholder groups, different types of licensing strategies for public goods, and other issues that are not regularly covered in his host discipline of rural sociology. The project has also provided significant experiential learning opportunities for students (see previous). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The PI and graduate RA presented on the social implications of cellular agriculture from the consumer perspective at the USDA Ag Outlook 2020; the PI has also spoken to several journalists about his work. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Publish papers, work on our mini-reports, migrate our ethnographic data collection to study online conferences (in the covid era), and work on maximizing our broader impacts by developing our web-based materials.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We've conducted in-person and online ethnographies of dozens of civil-society knowledge communities, namely, by attending conferences, reviewing online conference materials, and conducting interviews. Initial findings have been used for an academic journal manuscript (current status is R&R). We've also collected a significant amount of literature and original data for our mini-reports. The survey won't be launched until later phases of the project.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2020 Citation: Chiles, R. et al. 2020. "Democratizing Ownership and Participation in the 4th Industrial Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities in Cellular Agriculture." R&R.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Chiles, R. M., Tami-Barrera, N. and N. Negowetti. 2020. "Decision-Making from the Consumer Perspective." Ag Outlook Forum (invited).