Chewing the Fat

Chewing the Fat


Ben Wurgaft: Meat Planet

May 22, 2020

What makes cultured meat imaginable?


Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft is a public scholar whose latest book, Meat Planet: Artificial Flesh and the Future of Food, looks deeply at this question. These days, technologies for cultured meat are kept more and more under wraps; Ben’s research then, offers an incredible glimpse at the industry. We chat about the book’s stories, but also food tech, science fiction, and what this pandemic means for meat production.


Bonus question on a cultured meat TV episode (Black Mirror, anyone?) at 33:32.


For more from Ben, follow @benwurgaft on Twitter. Meat Planet can be purchased in bookstores today.


This episode marks the end of season 2, but we’ll see you soon!


about us:


website: https://www.sustainablefood.yale.edu/chewing-the-fat-podcast


facebook: @yalesustainablefoodprogram


twitter: @ysfp


instagram: @ysfp


Chewing the Fat is a podcast from the Yale Sustainable Food Program. We cover people making change in the complex world of food and agriculture. We’re home to brilliant minds: activists, academics, chefs, entrepreneurs, farmers, journalists, policymakers, and scientists (to name a few!). Taken together, their work represents a reimagining of mainstream food movements, challenging myths and tropes as well as inspiring new ways of collaborating.


The podcast is an aural accompaniment to our on-campus Chewing the Fat speaker series, aiming to broaden our content beyond New Haven. Episodes are released every two weeks, featuring interviews, storytelling and more.


On the farm, in the classroom, and around the world, the Yale Sustainable Food Program (YSFP) grows food-literate leaders. We create opportunities for students to experience food, agriculture, and sustainability as integral parts of their education and everyday lives. For more information, please visit sustainablefood.yale.edu.