To the editor:

I was thrilled to learn an Israeli company, Future Meat Technologies, has slashed production costs for cultured meat and hopes to bring it to the United States in the next year-and-a-half. For those who don’t know, cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughter. It’s better for the environment, public health and animal welfare.

Future Meat Technologies can make a quarter-pound of cultivated chicken for a little less than $4. This is down from $7.50 just a few months ago. “We will launch a product in the U.S. market in the next 18 months that will have a commercially viable price,” company CEO Rom Kshuk told the Financial Times, suggesting this will be under $2.

Despite the progress, more research is necessary to help launch the cultured meat industry. For instance, according to the Good Food Institute, there is a significant knowledge gap when it comes to creating whole-cut meats. That’s why we need federal funding for cellular-agriculture development. I hope forward-thinking legislators will support it.

Jon Hochschartner

Granby, Connecticut