[clomond]

Not to be incredibly nit-picky, but the costs of the product right now don’t matter nearly as much as the ability to scale production and variable unit costs.

As a ‘hard tech’, they need to work themselves through the technology readiness framework before the cost of a particular material even tells you anything of value.

[Animats]

Sure it does. The competition is growing soybeans, which are really cheap. Are they going to beat that?

Most of the high-tech food schemes produce some high-value product. This produces a very low value product. It's Hamburger Helper. Cost dominates.

[washbrain]

The competition would be carbon neutral pesticide free soybeans, which I'm not sure are readily available? Soybeans also typically use energy intensive nitrogen fertilizers, which I'm not sure this process requires. (It might, not sure.)

Also, soybeans need to be shipped from fertile areas. This could be produced in situ in infertile areas.

I'm not saying it's a panacea, but it has some benefits over traditional intensive agriculture.

[adrianmonk]

They didn't say the costs don't matter. They said the costs don't matter right now. Those are two very different things.

[stubish]

The only thing I think that matters is the cost. To sell at scale and displace other foods, it is going to have to be as cheap as chicken. There is no point building a large factory that can produce this stuff at quantity at the price of wagu beef, because there is no market for that product. Even to vegans you are competing with tofu. Cost is why Quorn remains a niche product.