Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has proudly declared that Florida is the “freest state in America.” But apparently, in the Republican governor’s view, freedom doesn’t extend to eating foods he doesn’t like.
The so-called “freedom governor” just publicly endorsed a push from Republicans in the Florida legislature to ban lab-grown meat in the Sunshine State. This new form of food technology involves companies culturing cells in laboratories and “growing” them by feeding the cells oxygen and nutrients until they multiply exponentially and large amounts of meat are produced. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has strict safety standards, has already approved lab-grown chicken to enter the U.S. food market, and other forms of lab-grown meat are in the works.
But they won’t be coming to Florida if DeSantis and his allies get their way.
“You need meat. OK?” the governor said. “We’re going to have meat in Florida. We’re going to have fake meat? That doesn’t work. We’re going to make sure to do it right.”
Republican lawmakers such as state Sen. Jay Collins have introduced legislation banning lab-grown meat in Florida.
“You’re growing cells in a cultivated petri dish and creating protein to eat,” Collins said. “There are many ethical boundaries that this steps in and, frankly, over.
“I think we have to be very thought-out in what we allow our people to eat,” the state lawmaker concluded. “We want to make sure that we’re building opportunity in agriculture and we’re rewarding people and feeding only the best to our citizens.”
The rank hypocrisy and paternalism here is astounding.
These Republicans say they believe in freedom and limited government yet are simultaneously trying to legally mandate “what we allow our people to eat” and ban an entire method of food production because they don’t like it. They’re saying that everyday people are too stupid to decide for themselves whether they want to eat lab-grown meat or stick to the traditional product.
And it’s laughable and bizarre to see them cite “ethical boundaries” as a basis for their opposition. Lab-grown meat involves hurting zero animals, whereas the current system for meat production involves the mass slaughter and often deeply inhumane treatment of billions of living beings. Yet, we’re supposed to believe that the laboratory method is what’s unethical?
Moreover, while it’s not there yet, there’s enormous potential that if this technology develops, it could make meat production much less expensive, which means lower prices for consumers. So, too, it could one day drastically reduce the carbon emissions and other forms of environmental pollution that are associated with our meat-eating habits.
Of course, no one should have to eat lab-grown meat unless they want to. But that’s the beautiful thing about letting the market do its thing: People can decide for themselves. Anyone who truly believes in freedom wouldn’t want the government to trample on the free market and overrule people’s individual decision-making on something as simple as what they want to eat for dinner.
There’s another angle to this that’s hypocritical for DeSantis, too. He repeatedly has slammed more traditional Republicans for the supposed “warmed-over corporatism” their policies reflect. But in backing this push, the governor is engaging in textbook corporatism by seeking to use the government to block competitors to a favored business interest, Florida’s existing agricultural industry.
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You can’t get a much clearer example of “warmed-over corporatism” than that.
At the end of the day, the availability of lab-grown meat isn’t exactly a life-or-death issue for most Floridians. But it does serve as yet another reminder that their governor often doesn’t practice what he preaches.
Brad Polumbo (@Brad_Polumbo) is an independent journalist, YouTuber, and co-founder of BASEDPolitics.