Socio-political barriers of innovation adoption: An exploration of the regulation of cultured meat in France through the Technological Innovation System (TIS) framework

Details

Supervisors

Coeurderoy, Régis

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enThis thesis investigates the socio-political barriers to the adoption of cultured meat in France, using the Technological Innovation System (TIS) framework. The research adopts a qualitative approach, combining an in-depth literature review with a systematic analysis of policy documents and media sources, to map the structural and functional dynamics influencing the development of cultured meat in the French context. Cultured meat is often presented as a sustainable alternative to conventional livestock farming, aiming to reduce environmental impacts, enhance food safety, and eliminate the need for animal slaughter. While the TIS framework highlights a dynamic innovation ecosystem driven by startups, environmental urgency, and global regulatory developments, it also reveals persistent challenges, including limited knowledge diffusion, the dominance of private actors, technical hurdles and difficulties in legitimacy-building. The French case reveals a more resistant and defensive posture. Authorities justify their opposition through cultural rejection of the product as "artificial" and incompatible with national identity, political efforts to protect rural agriculture, and scepticism toward the environmental and health benefits of the technology. The study argues that France’s stance is shaped by emotional and political narratives, and a lack of strategic anticipation regarding the potential entry of cultured meat into the European market. It highlights the need for further independent research, as well as improved transparency and knowledge diffusion regarding the societal, environmental, and health impacts of cultured meat.