In order to prevent deforestation, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly should back government funding for cultured-meat research. For readers who aren’t familiar with the term, cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughter. This revolutionary technology will save trees and allow huge tracts of land to return to their natural state.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, especially when you include livestock-feed operations. Meanwhile, cultured meat requires a tiny fraction of the land to create a nutritionally-identical product. It represents a powerful solution to a grave environmental problem.

While the private sector has made tremendous progress developing the field of cellular agriculture, there is so much more work to be done.

Open-access research is needed to reach price parity and develop whole-cut meats. Forward-thinking legislators should support this effort with a major federal investment.

Jon Hochschartner
Granby, Conn.