H U M A N H A R V E S T

The Brief

In the near-future, the meat market as we currently know will be unsustainable. Currently, approximately 38% of Earth’s land is taken up by agriculture, 80% of which is used for livestock. Livestock produce 35% of global methane emissions and use 20-33% of the fresh water supply.

By using in-vitro meat (IVM), emissions will significantly reduce, land will be freed up and there will be more fresh water available for other purposes. IVM also results in less meat waste as it involves growing muscle, this means that we only grow what we use. As IVM can be genetically modified, it also results in less disease being spread by meat, so there would be very little amounts of unusable meat.

My proposal uses human meat, this means that no designated land is required to keep livestock. The cells will be taken from donors who already have their own space elsewhere. There is an endless supply of humans, many of which would be willing to donate cells for meat production.

Human Harvest welcomes meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans to eat this sustainable source of protein.

The Site

The site 79-83 Charterhouse Street has a great history with meat, making it the perfect site for Human Harvest.

The site is a grade II listed building which is located opposite the West Market building of Smithfield Market. The building was designed and built in the in 1930’s to accommodate the department for the Meat Inspectors of Smithfield Market.

The neighbouring buildings are Tetto’s restaurant and the famous Fabric nightclub.

I produced a site illustration of one of the main entrances to Smithfield Market. I chose this image to be the
basis of my site illustration as I was drawn to this siteby the distinct bright colours, and intricate gates. I believe that Smithfield Market is at the heart of the Farringdon community, and as it is such a iconic part of the area it well represents the spirit of Smithfield.

The Design

The space is being designed for the client Bistro In Vitro. Bistro In Vitro came from the In vitro meat cookbook written by Dr. Koert van Mensvoot. They welcome meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans to make a reservation for 2030 to eat their in vitro meat (IVM) dishes.

The lab grown meat industry significantly grew in 2020. Many new companies were founded and investments hit a record level. The level of new companies increased by 43%, and investments totalled to over £250,000,000. A study conducted showed that 80% of residents within the UK and US are open to eating meat which originates from a lab rather than a farm. Lab grown meat is highly likely to be accepted by society.

Human Harvest, encourages customers to get to know their meat. The locally sourced and produced meat is human which allows for customers to interact with their food and get to know their ‘meat’ on a personal level. They will know exactly the life the ‘meat’ lives and the process of how it has ended up on their plate.

When donors sign up at the site they are agreeing for their meat to be used by the bistro and to be served to customers. Each donor receives a cash incentive as well as a free sample of their meat once grown. Bistro customers are given a menu of the human donors which shows a profile of each meat source. The profile will include the name, age, fat percentage and basic lifestyle of the donor and a summary of the meat taste, therefore the customer chooses a ‘meat’ to fit their taste buds.
As human meat is used to produce the food, both vegans and vegetarians will be encouraged to eat it as it is 100% consensual and does not harm any animals.

The site will consist of a laboratory, bar/tasting area, a learning hub, a donor centre and a bistro. Visitors to the site will be taken through a journey of discovery. When approaching the site, you will be greeted large window showing the donors having their cells extracted. Upon entering, you pass a mysterious object, which reveals a laboratory as you ascend through the site.

The ground floor is the first-taste, here the bar/taster area and a short film explaiing the process can be found. The first floor consists of a learning hub, where visitors can access documents produced by the onsite scientists, as well as other books of interest, such as the In-vitro Bistro cookbook. The second floor is where customers have their dining experience, it is also the level where the laboratory is fully exposed.

To advertise the benefits of eating IVM human meat, and to help with the connotations around cannibalism, Bistro In-Vitro will publish a series of posters to be placed around London and on social media. Meaty colours will be combined with slogans to encourage users to discover more about human harvest. As the in-vitro human meat is consensual, the campaign will also target vegans and vegetarians to persuade them to eat this cruelty-free meat.