Public attitudes to cultivated meat lag behind healthcare breakthroughs, Bayer and BCG study finds

A new global study by Leaps by Bayer, Boston Consulting Group, and Ipsos UK has found that while optimism around scientific innovation remains high, cultivated meat and other food technologies continue to face more cautious public sentiment compared to breakthroughs in healthcare.

• A global study found optimism toward science remained high, but food technologies such as cultivated meat were viewed less positively than healthcare innovations
• Public attitudes toward emerging technologies were driven more by beliefs about safety and fairness than by technical understanding
• Trust in institutions varied significantly by region, with lower levels reported in high-income countries such as Germany and the USA

The report, based on qualitative interviews across China, Germany, and the USA, builds on a 2025 survey of more than 13,000 people in 13 countries. It explored how people perceive a range of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence in healthcare, cell and gene therapies, genomic techniques in agriculture, and cultivated meat.

Across these categories, the findings showed a consistent divide. Health-related innovations were widely seen as urgent and necessary, while food and agriculture technologies, including cultivated meat, were often viewed with less immediacy and greater hesitation.

Researchers linked this gap partly to perceived urgency. Participants in high-income countries tended to prioritize serious disease and healthcare system pressures, while issues such as food security and climate change were viewed as less immediate concerns. The report suggested that distance from food production may play a role, noting that only around 1% of the population in Germany and the USA works in agriculture.

This context appeared to influence how cultivated meat is understood. Without a clear sense of urgency, respondents were less likely to view alternative food technologies as essential, even when they addressed long-term sustainability challenges.

The study also found that attitudes toward cultivated meat, like other emerging technologies, were shaped less by technical knowledge and more by underlying beliefs. Concepts such as naturalness, safety, and fairness played a decisive role in shaping opinions, often outweighing scientific explanations of how the technology works.

Participants were broadly categorized into three shifting mindsets: Optimists, Rationalists, and Skeptics. These were not fixed groups, but emotional positions that individuals moved between depending on the context. Even among skeptics, however, perspectives could shift under certain conditions.

For example, when considering medical technologies such as cell and gene therapies, some skeptical respondents said they would reconsider their position if faced with a serious illness and no alternative treatments. No equivalent trigger appeared as clearly defined for food technologies, including cultivated meat, reinforcing the perception gap between the two sectors.

The report suggested that this difference presents a communication challenge for companies working in cultivated meat and other alternative proteins. Without a clear and immediate problem to solve in the eyes of consumers, the burden falls more heavily on demonstrating trust, safety, and relevance.

Trust emerged as a central factor throughout the research. According to the earlier quantitative data, 62% of respondents said they trusted health authorities to act in the public’s best interest, but this figure varied significantly by region. Trust levels were lower in Germany at 52% and the USA at 56%, compared to 73% in China.

This uneven trust landscape has implications for how cultivated meat is received, particularly in Western markets where skepticism toward institutions is more pronounced. The report highlighted the importance of transparent and consistent communication, as well as visible accountability, in building public confidence.

Juergen Eckhardt, Executive Vice President & Head of Leaps by Bayer, said understanding these dynamics was essential for advancing new technologies. “Understanding public sentiment, and the mindsets and emotions behind those views, is a critical first step towards building acceptance for technologies that could drive significant impact,” he said.

The findings also pointed to generational differences. Younger respondents, particularly Gen Z, showed a more complex relationship with emerging technologies. While they expressed optimism about potential benefits, they also reported higher levels of concern, shaped by direct experience with technologies such as AI.

Although this dynamic was most pronounced in discussions around artificial intelligence, the broader pattern of cautious optimism extended to other areas, including food innovation. Younger participants were often more aware of both the potential and the risks, leading to more nuanced and sometimes contradictory views.

One Gen Z respondent in China highlighted the perceived necessity of technological solutions in agriculture, saying, “We can't change these [climate] challenges. […] If ordinary seeds struggle to survive, we definitely need to use new technologies to ensure sustainable development.”

The study suggested that similar narratives may be needed to build acceptance for cultivated meat, particularly in connecting the technology to tangible challenges such as climate resilience and food security.

At the same time, the research emphasized that acceptance is unlikely to be driven by technical explanations alone. Instead, it pointed to the need for engagement strategies that address values, emotions, and trust directly.

Leaps by Bayer, which has invested more than US$2.1 billion in over 65 companies, described the study as part of a broader effort to understand how breakthrough innovations can gain societal acceptance. Bayer reported sales of €45.6 billion (US$49 billion) in fiscal 2025 and research and development spending of €5.8 billion (US$6.2 billion).

As cultivated meat continues to move toward commercialization, the findings highlight a central challenge for the sector. Scientific progress alone may not be enough to secure public support. How the technology is communicated, and the extent to which it aligns with consumer values, could prove just as important as the innovation itself.