According to the United Nations, the world’s population is projected to exceed 9.5 billion by 2050, placing unprecedented strain on our food systems. Climate change, land scarcity, and rising demand for protein mean that traditional agriculture alone may no longer be enough. Could cultivated meat and other food technologies provide the answer?
In this episode of Tech Tomorrow, David Elliman speaks with Illtud Dunsford, CEO and co-founder of Cellular Agriculture Ltd, about the promise and limitations of lab-grown foods. Together, they explore whether technology alone can solve the global food crisis or whether the deeper challenge lies in human choices and culture.
They also discuss the parallels between scaling in biotech and software engineering. How ambitious visions must be broken into achievable steps, the risks of hype cycles, and why collaboration across disciplines is essential. Just as DevOps reshaped software delivery, cultivated foods may depend on breaking down silos.
Episode Highlights:
01:49 – What is cultivated meat?
02:46 – How cultivated meat may help optimise and reduce waste.
04:03 – How the extremities of technology and ideas help us push forward.
05:02 – David’s thoughts: What does pushing the boundaries look like in software engineering?
06:21 – The story of Cellular Agriculture Ltd and how their technology works.
09:53 – Where is the cultivated meat industry today?
11:45 – David’s thoughts: Are long R&D cycles necessary for software engineers?
12:31 – What challenges are cultivated foods trying to tackle?
16:29 – What’s stopping this technology from expanding?
18:35 – How long is it going to take for this technology to reach an inflection point?
20:13 – David’s thoughts: Why cross-collaboration is so important in software engineering.
22:34 – What does the future of cultivated food look like?
25:03 – What could we miss about this field if we only concentrate on the technology?
27:58 – Is the global food crisis a problem that only tech can solve?
About Zühlke:
Zühlke is a global transformation partner, with engineering and innovation at its core. We help clients envision and build their businesses for the future – running smarter today while adapting for tomorrow’s markets, customers, and communities.
Our multidisciplinary teams specialise in technology strategy and business innovation, digital solutions and applications, and device and systems engineering. We thrive in complex, regulated sectors such as healthcare and finance, connecting strategy, implementation, and operations to help clients build more effective and resilient businesses.
Links: