RESPECTfarms champions farm-scale cultivated meat as Dutch livestock sector faces crisis

As the Netherlands wrestles with economic and environmental strain in its livestock sector, an unconventional idea is gaining ground: farmers producing cultivated meat directly on their farms. RESPECTfarms, a Dutch organization advocating this model, has completed an extensive feasibility study indicating that a farm-based approach to cultivated meat could help transform agriculture, offering struggling farmers a new lifeline while reducing society’s environmental costs.

The Netherlands is Europe’s agricultural powerhouse, ranking second globally in agricultural exports. In 2019, it produced more than 3.7 million tons of meat, with 60% exported, yielding revenue of €5.2 billion (approximately US$5.7 billion). Yet this success story is faltering. Farmers face tight margins, volatile prices, mounting environmental regulations, and growing public pressure over animal welfare and emissions.

A study by Connecting Agri & Food and RESPECTfarms found that from 2020 to 2023, the Dutch beef sector operated at a loss, despite €426 million (US$467 million) per year in subsidies. In the same period, beef farmers earned, on average, only €95 in revenue for every €100 of cost.

Beyond economics, there’s a social cost to meat production. Wageningen University estimates each kilogram of minced beef from dairy cows carries an external cost to society of €4.91 (US$5.39), considering factors like environmental damage and healthcare impacts. Cultivated beef, by contrast, could cut those costs to €2.17 (US$2.38) per kilogram.

For Dutch farmer, Leon Moonen of Crole Natuurrund, cultivated meat offers hope. “It is clear that the way we produce meat needs to change,” he said. “Cultivated meat gives farmers like me an opportunity to do better. I will be able to grow meat without the need to kill my animals.”

RESPECTfarms emerged from this sense of urgency, building on the early vision of Willem van Eelen, the Dutch researcher known as the 'Godfather of Cultivated Meat', who imagined farm-scale meat cultivation as far back as the 1950s. The organization wants to help farmers repurpose their expertise and infrastructure for cell-based meat production, turning livestock farms into small facilities akin to artisanal dairies.

Over the past 18 months, RESPECTfarms has conducted a rigorous feasibility study with partners including Mosa Meat, Priva, Rabobank, fenaco, the European Commission, Wageningen University, and the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. The study involved literature reviews, experiments, and interviews with 72 farmers and 71 companies involved in cell line development, cell feed, bioprocessing, and product development.

One question loomed large. Do farmers even want to produce cultivated meat?

RESPECTfarms and Wageningen University interviewed 57 Dutch farmers in depth. The typical farmer was in their mid-50s, representing the fourth generation on the family farm. They viewed farming as a meaningful vocation but struggled with financial uncertainty, labor demands, and questions about the future. Many were open to technological innovation and new income streams.

From these interviews, RESPECTfarms concluded that 10.5% of Dutch livestock farmers – around 2,094 farmers – would seriously consider transitioning to cultivated meat. The reasons ranged from economics to sustainability. As one farmer put it: “If the earning model is good, I would switch directly.” Another cited environmental motives: “Sustainability reasons.” A third added: “I can create more meat with fewer animals.”

Interest isn’t confined to the Netherlands. Farmers in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland have shown curiosity, according to RESPECTfarms, which is now evaluating the model’s viability in these markets as part of the FEASTS consortium. A German pig farmer told researchers: “My stable is outdated, and I need to invest in upgrades over the next three to five years. As I’m exploring ways to diversify, I’m looking for innovative approaches to farming.”

While large-scale cultivated meat production still faces steep technical challenges, RESPECTfarms argues that smaller, farm-scale facilities avoid many pitfalls. Industrial producers hope to one day operate bioreactors as large as 50,000 liters. Yet the industry’s current ceiling is just 1,000 liters. Large bioreactors bring complex technical risks, including oxygen and pH gradients that can reduce cell viability.

RESPECTfarms envisions bioreactors smaller than 1,000 liters, similar in scale to equipment found in artisanal cheese factories. This approach, they argue, allows for higher cell densities, simpler operations, and fewer contamination risks. For now, RESPECTfarms is designing systems around single-use bioreactor technology to minimize cleaning costs and operational complexity.

Another critical question is the cost of feeding the cells. Studies show amino acids represent between 16-45% of cell feed costs. RESPECTfarms’ research indicates that agricultural side streams like yeast and grass could become cost-effective feedstocks, although more work is needed to develop processes that can reliably support cell growth from such raw materials.

Regulatory challenges remain, but there’s been progress. One Dutch farmer has already secured a permit to produce cultivated meat on his farm, signaling that farm-based cell cultivation is legally possible in the Netherlands.

Ultimately, profitability will determine whether cultivated meat becomes a true lifeline for farmers. RESPECTfarms, working with Rabobank, modeled potential earnings. The projections suggest that, with investments exceeding €1 million (US$1.1 million), farmers could see payback periods between three and seven years.

Initially, RESPECTfarms aims for hybrid products – mixes of cultivated cells and plant proteins – to control costs and speed market entry. Rabobank estimates production costs for such hybrids at €4.88 (US$5.36) per kilogram, with premium burgers potentially retailing at €9 (US$9.88) per kilogram.

Aernout van der Does, Director of Banking for Food at Rabobank, backs the concept. “We believe that this proposition responds well to the demand for necessary new sustainable earning models for livestock farmers,” he said. “We are happy to continue our support for RESPECTfarms in the future.”

The societal benefits could be significant. A study conducted with Wageningen Economic Research and CE Delft found that switching from conventional meat to cultivated meat produced on farms could reduce external societal costs by two to three and a half times by 2030.

RESPECTfarms is now preparing to build its first demonstration farm and is seeking partners and investors. For farmers like Moonen, it’s a chance to remain true to their agricultural roots while participating in a radically new way of producing meat. As RESPECTfarms puts it, the future of cultivated meat may be as diverse as today’s meat industry itself – but it might just start on the farm.