I was interested to learn the publication China Weekly is following recent efforts by American politicians to hinder the development of cultivated meat.

For those who don’t know, cultivated meat is grown from animal cells, without slaughter. China has invested heavily in the nascent industry.

The publication suggested efforts such as those of Florida’s legislature to ban the new protein would strengthen China’s position.

Instead of standing in the way of progress, American politicians should be leading it.

Cultivated meat faces a number of technological hurdles. Perhaps the most important of these is that it is currently too expensive to mass produce. This can be overcome with increased federal funding for cultivated-meat research.

Politicians who care about the national interest should help advance cellular agriculture.

Jon Hochschartner is a journalist and author who has written about animal rights. He lives in Granby, Connecticut.