Cultured fruit: growing fruit without plants

Abstract

Dominant forms of agriculture burden our environment, and food production is threatened by climate change. In this opinion article we introduce a paradigm shift in food production by describing a method to cultivate fruit without having to grow plants, and outline remaining scientific challenges. 'Cultured fruit' is less vulnerable to climate change, and can drastically improve sustainability, but only if non-agricultural sources of sugar are used to fuel fruit growth. Lessons for industrial scaling can be drawn from the micropropagation industry. Equitable access to this technology should be promoted to prevent power imbalances that can result from the further industrialization of agriculture. A just adoption of cultured fruit technology can help build a fair and sustainable food system.