I think you forget the fundamental difference between the products. Even if its more expensive, lets just assume there is a flat $5 difference between "real" and artificial meat. Before it was always questionable if the meat marked "free-range" or "organic" was really the better product. You have to pay more and esseantially could get the same product, just labled differently. But between real and artifical meat, there is a real difference. The one needs an animal to be killed and the other does not. This can be a major selling point. If marketed corretly, you could make this very clear. This never was possible before. If you have them side by side, the one the remains of a dead animal and the other one from a tube, I think the choice would be more difficult. Of cource we have to assume at this point that there are no health related issues that rise witch this new product.
If it works, it very well could change everything, just think how many people would have a hard time explaing to their kid why they chose the cheaper meat and had an animal killed when they could have the kill-free alternative. It's all in the marketing. I can see this commercial in my head right now. "But Mom, don't you love cows too? Why did you chose to have it killed?"
I've not forgotten about it at all. I just do not think that the mass market will give a shit.
When I say mass market I mean everyone, not just people that shop at Whole Mortgage. I even mentioned that in my post. If its more expensive then there will be some who will buy it because it makes them feel better and they can afford to do it. But can Steve and Sheila with 3 kids and a mortgage who just need to eat? No, they are gonna buy some regular mince/chicken/burgers because it's cheap.
Those of us that eat meat long ago accepted that animals die to allow us to eat meat I don't think I ever said to my mum "but what about the poor animals" and we had pets. It's just what we do as a species. That isn't going to change just because someone makes a more expensive option that doesn't result in the death of an animal. Sure, I'd love to eat a nice burger or steak or sausage with the knowledge that nothing died to make it, but not at a premium for my regular shop. A once in a while treat maybe.
Price always drives everything. You want to stop people driving badly economic cars? Jack the fuel price up. Suddenly SUV sales tank and smaller economical cars boom, manufacturers are forced to change the cars to actually make them a little economical. Fuel prices tank and everyone goes back to SUVs.
Saying that you use 99% less water and 98% less and produce 99% less emissions is great. You'll get some customers from that alone even if your product costs more because some people just have spare money. Lots of people don't. Make it cheaper (which surely if you're using that much less land and water should be feasible in time) then the mass market will adopt it easily and comfortably.
Tesla makes fast attractive eco cars, they got a lot of buys from being either green, fast, attractive or a combination of those. Shockingly, they know that to get the masses to adopt it you need to get down to a price point that the masses can look at and go "fine, why buy a Camry or a Focus when I can buy one of those and save on the fuel and maintenance". They are already doing well in sales, imagine how big they could be when they get down to those kind of prices.
Lab meat if it really can be identical in flavour and texture to "real" meat will be fantastic for the world. I have no doubt. No compromises outside of "I need to know something lived to enjoy it" which I think is a tiny tiny minority of crazies.
Once its close to the same price as real meat, it'll be all I buy. All the time its 15+% more expensive I know what I'll be buying.
