Will Saudi Arabia’s Single‑Cell Protein Innovation Reduce or Intensify Animal Suffering?

Saudi Arabia’s plan to build the world’s largest single‑cell protein (SCP) plant marks a significant moment in the evolution of global food systems. Developed in partnership with Denmark’s Unibio International, the facility will use methane to cultivate microbial protein at unprecedented scale. This raises a pressing ethical question: will such innovation reduce the suffering of animals by displacing fishmeal and soy, or will it reinforce the structures of factory farming by serving primarily as feed within the same intensive systems?