As we reflect on this past summer, many Pennsylvanians enjoyed the great American tradition of barbecues and cookouts: getting together with friends and family to enjoy steaks, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and other fresh and delicious meats.

None of this would be possible without the generations of work our farmers have put into breeding and raising animals to produce the high-quality food we enjoy from the farm to our tables. But what if there was a movement, with billions of dollars behind it, to bring meat from cell cultures in a lab to our tables? This could be a reality if we don’t join states such as Florida and Alabama that have recently passed bans on lab-grown meat.

We will soon be reintroducing legislation, House Bill 2441 from the previous session, that would protect our farmers and the work they do that is steeped in tradition and care to provide us with high-quality meats. In addition to the ban on lab-grown meat and poultry covered under last session’s bill, this legislation would ban the manufacturing and sale of proteins made for human consumption from the cell culture of any animal.

We hope that you will join us in co-sponsoring this legislation to protect our farmers and traditions.