CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The U.S. Department of Defense has decided to nix its plans to pursue lab-grown protein projects for human consumption for American armed forces, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was the first and only cattle group to uncover this stream of DoD (U.S. Department of Defense) funding that could go toward lab-grown protein projects, and we were the first and only group to fight back,” said Mark Eisele, NCBA president and Cheyenne rancher.

“After weeks of engaging with Congress and speaking out against this plan, we are thrilled to have DoD confirmation that lab-grown protein is not on the menu for our nation’s service members,” he added. “These men and women make the greatest sacrifices every day in service to our country and they deserve high-quality, nutritious, and wholesome food like real beef grown by American farmers and ranchers.”

The NCBA said it has worked with agriculture allies in Congress to secure the introduction of several amendments to the Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Appropriations bill, National Defense Authorization Act, and Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture Appropriations bill, aimed at preventing lab-grown protein from ever showing up on the plates of American service members.

Lawmakers leading the charge were Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.); Zach Nunn (R-Iowa); Warren Davidson (R-Ohio); Mary Miller (R-Ill.), and Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.); Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.); and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), who all drew attention to these DoD grants for lab-grown protein projects, the NCBA said.

According to an Aug. 9 joint statement to Farm World, the DoD said it is not funding the manufacture of cultivated meat.

“There is no cultivated meat in military rations, nor plans to feed troops cultivated meat,” the statement said. “This research involves plant protein-based mycoprotein ingredients that are shelf-stable, have high protein and fiber contents, and can be dehydrated.

“The ability of the U.S. military to project power entails an equally imposing logistical chain to maintain stocks of food, water, medicines, fuel, and other supplies critical to troops and equipment,” the statement added. “That chain gets stretched to extremes when the military is called upon to rapidly deploy anywhere in the world and sustain operations without the benefit of fixed infrastructure.

“Accordingly, the DoD is actively investigating ways critical supplies are procured in addition to creating systems that can rapidly produce materials, including food onsite, when and where they are needed,” the statement concluded. “In its research to produce food onsite, the DoD is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure all relevant guidelines are adhered to and regulatory standards are met.”

Sigrid Johannes, NCBA senior director of government affairs, said, “The Department of Defense can and should be on the cutting edge of science, and we respect their work to investigate defense applications for new tools and technology.

“However, there’s a big difference between industrial or defense applications and the food we put in our bodies,” she added. “U.S. farmers and ranchers are more than capable of meeting the military’s need for high-quality protein.”

She said, “The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association appreciates the DoD’s responsiveness on this issue, and we thank our allies in Congress, including Sen. Fischer, Reps. Davidson and Bacon, for quickly acting to ensure that only the most wholesome and unprocessed products end up on the plate for our service members.”