Over the last few years, two memorable phrases from two completely different people stick in my mind.

The first was from Michael O’Leary of Ryanair when he said that we should all look at what industry we operate in and ask ourselves if it can be dramatically disrupted.

He drew the comforting conclusion that airline travel could not envisage the kind of disruption that has affected travel agents and newspapers in the foreseeable future as people still had to physically be transported to get from A to B.

In a farming context, technological disruption always makes me think of the wool industry but the second phrase that resonated strongly with me was Prof Paddy Wall’s assertion that doctors and the medical world are in the sickness business while farmers and food producers are in the health business.

This concept of farmers and food being at the centre of human health is not new

It’s an innovative way of looking at things. This concept of farmers and food being at the centre of human health is not new but it’s gaining a new focus and medical and nutritional advances have put food quality – in the broadest sense – at the forefront.

The potential trade implications are dealt with in a new report by the international accountancy/consultancy firm, KPMG.

At the moment, it’s costing $300,000 to produce a beef burger

The growth of animal-based protein in a laboratory will pose significant regulatory and financial challenges.

At the moment, it’s costing $300,000 to produce a beef burger but given the scale of investment and commitment going into the sector, this will inevitably come down dramatically in the years ahead.

While we shouldn’t be paranoid, neither can we afford to be complacent and the need for a united marketing message spelling out the health and nutritional benefits of our products becomes more urgent as does the spelling out of the technical progress being achieved in reducing methane emissions from our livestock.

The progress in reducing methane emissions is real but has not been factored into the climate change advisory committee’s recommendations.

The entire industry has been negligent in promoting its central message. So far, the pariah wing is winning the public perception battle by default.

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