MEAT THE FUTURE IS BEYOND TIME

Creating alternative meat for the future is truly a work of art.

When we spoke to director Liz Marshall a decade ago in regards to her film Water On The Table, which won Best Canadian Feature Film at Planet in Focus 2010, the world was a much different place. Environmental issues were being brought to the table in film format and shared with an audience that was unaware yet concerned. Fast forward to 2020, we are in a state where the action is being taken to solve our planet’s issues and having them presented in a film format. It’s fantastic to see an award-winning director like Liz Marshall sticking to her vision of educating the audience of those changes that need to happen with an investigative video journalism element that she has honed over the years.

Meat the Future screening at this year’s Planet in Focus Film Festival is Liz Marshall’s latest on tackling the issue of the meat industry’s giant carbon footprint. She looks upon the alternative meat industry and what they are doing to reduce the carbon emissions contributing to climate change. She focuses primarily on the journey of Memphis Meats lead by visionary CEO Uma Valeti whose company cultivates meat by growing it through animal cells in a controlled environment.

Everything is pointing in the right direction for Uma Valeti who left his practice in cardiology at the Mayo Clinic to take this leap of faith. Curating this process of growing meat diminishes the notion of mass animal farming. It would also decrease slaughtering and overcrowding which animal rights activists would be content with. We should be encouraging the growing meat process because it is free from disease and infection. These potential outbreaks are now a growing concern during this COVID-19 pandemic especially after the first infection in a seafood market in Wuhan.

Memphis Meats’ chicken fillet in Meat The Future

It comes down to food security and trying to feed billions of people on this planet who not all have chosen to go vegan or vegetarian. The demand for meat is still on the rise but Uma Valeti’s cost of production has dropped since his start-up days in Silicone Valley. Now for Uma Valeti, growing pounds of meat is economically feasible and delicious at the same time. So why wouldn’t a company like Memphis Meats flourish in these unprecedented times?

This new source of meat can be considered ”fake” meat which is why regulations need to be put in place. Not only to protect the rights of the consumer who deserve to know what is in their product but as well for Uma Valeti who must protect his practices for his business. You see through the lens of Liz Marshall, the hard work and stress that Uma Valeti and his staff must go through to make the vision of Memphis Meats a reality. The red tape they must face with the US government, the FDA and the USDA are all time-consuming. Those who are profiting now from the meat industry do not want to lose so delays are inevitable. Current farmers and the corporations behind those farms are not going to go away as quickly as Uma Valeti can cook a cell-based grown meatball. What Uma Valeti can do is be ahead of the curve and grow that niche market for his product and vision as fast as he can. It also comes down to the taste which is why he has some of the best cooks to showcase his product.

Meat the Future may be about our need to find alternatives to battle climate change. Meat the Future is also a biopic about a man who has the vision to make the world a better place. Uma Valeti is not here to save the world by any means but he is going to take all his blood, sweat and tears to make a difference. This is a man who has decided to take action and has a dedicated staff to help his mission and fulfill his dreams. Director Liz Marshall has found a true gem in Uma Valeti who has taken an environmental concern of the meat industry into his own hands rather than being like Joaquin Phoenix and telling everyone to stop eating meat while receiving an Oscar. Uma Valeti is an inspiration to all especially those who are concerned about all the issues disturbing our planet and need that motivation to make that difference. One thing is for sure. Uma Valeti has got great taste.

www.meatthefuture.com