External costs of locally produced cultivated meat compared with three conventional Dutch meat products

In this research project, the external costs of RESPECTfarms’ locally produced cultivated meat (TRL7) and three conventional meats (chicken, pig, and dairy cow, produced in the Netherlands) are assessed. All products are valued for a 2030 scenario, using on-farm energy partly from PV panels on stable roofs and partly from the grid, with a higher share of sustainable energy than the current mix. The TCA methodology from the PPP Echte en Eerlijke Prijs and the Horizon Europe project FOODCoST was applied. Some modules not yet developed were assessed qualitatively. Per kg boneless meat, the external costs of locally produced cultivated meat are lower than those of the conventional meats. Results should be seen in the context of research limitations due to methodological choices, data accuracy issues, and scenario analysis.