Things have evolved since my notes on extensive animal husbandry in Argentina and the Sahel. I was the first in Corrientes Province to study the profitability of cattle growing on grass and writing a paper showing that the "estancieros" were losing money. The investments in land and fixed facilities, as well as cattle, were so large that actually, they were making less than American T-bonds. I proposed planting groundnuts and soya, and Caribbean pine. I left the place in a few years and Corrientes' economy has changed. I am not saying I did it but surely helped a bit.
Now I am witnessing a change to meat produced by in vitro cell culture of animal cells, instead of from slaughtered animals. As humanity is moving away from nature, the killing of animals is being rejected and soon it will be illegal. Cultured meat will become acceptable, which poses a question to Judaism. Is it kosher?
According to the sages, if the original cells are taken from a kosher animal, the meat - cultured and otherwise - is kosher. The mashgichim will need to learn biology in order to stay relevant. One may wonder what is the meaning of kosher meat: I thought it was a permitted animal slaughtered by a shohat. But what about its cell line? Is the kashrut transmitted in the genes? What is this obscurantist nonsense? I don't care: it works to keep the Jews apart from the peoples.
Already the patties sold for barbecues in Israel have never been part of a bovine. Comment: the cheese in the hamburger above is parve, made from soybeans.
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