Chris Bennett: Grass doesn’t make my mouth water

Hang on a minute, did I hear that right? They want to feed grass directly to humans now?

I am referring to a story I heard on Farming Today about a project aiming to process grass and break it down using yeasts to produce “edible” food.

After checking the date to confirm it wasn’t 1 April, I continued listening.

See also: Chris Bennett – head overseas for a fresh insight

The £2m Pasture to Plate project is run by the University of Bath and Harper Adams University.

Developing this grass product could, they claim, have a “transformative” effect on food production in the UK and abroad.

About the author

Chris Bennett

Chris Bennett manages the arable and beef family farm he grew up on in Louth, Lincolnshire. He returned to the farm in 2022 after spending several years farming in the South Island of New Zealand.

Read more articles by Chris Bennett

More efficient?

While not against beef and lamb production, those running the project claim their process will be 10 times more efficient than using livestock to convert grass to meat or milk. 

It seems to be generally accepted that the amount of meat we currently eat is unsustainable, but I’d far rather eat a few meat-free meals made from natural ingredients than from hyper-processed laboratory experiments.

Could this be the dinner of tomorrow? Lab-grown meat with a side of grass and a sprinkling of insect dust? Woodchip crumble for dessert, anyone? I think I’ll pass.

If nothing else, you have to admire the ambition of the people running the project.

They claim it has the potential to increase food production in the UK to the extent that we become a net food exporter and that it could be a silver bullet for farming, providing a new lucrative market for grass.

Even if the demand from the consumer existed, which it doesn’t, the fact that grass is such an abundant crop would surely mean the price paid to farmers will never be particularly “lucrative”.

Potential benefit

Maybe the claim with the most potential benefit is the scope to replace the imports of less sustainable products such as palm oil and soya protein.

Considering they tend to be found in products that have an ingredient list the length of your arm, I doubt anyone would even notice if soya was swapped for grass extract.

Do I believe this project is going to revolutionise the farming landscape in the UK? No.

Would I swap a steak for a bowl of processed grass? Definitely not.

Would I eat something containing barely noticeable grass extracts if it was better for the planet? Maybe.