John Sanbonmatsu and Vasile were mentioned in this recent episode of The Vegan Report (Ep. 109, Feb. 24, 2026). Here is the relevant excerpt and Vasile’s response:

The Vegan Report: [B]ecause you even debated some of those outspoken people like John Sanbonmatsu or Vasile Stanescu. In any case, you know, what do you make of that distinction from animal advocates from this technology? How do you explain how they are truly skeptical in the prospects of cultivated meat?

Bruce Friedrich: I mean, I think there's a pretty complete overlap between the people who are opposed to improvements in farm animal welfare and the people who are opposed to cultivated meat. And the argument is pretty similar. The argument against welfare reforms is that we are granting the property status of animals and that in doing so, we're setting back veganism.

The argument against cultivated meat is that we're granting the idea of animals as consumable and again, setting back animal rights. I think both of those are just transparently bad arguments and I think they both really suggest a kind of remarkable lack of empathy for the animals who are in those conditions. And I really just can't even understand it.

From The Vegan Report: The End of Factory Farming!? With Bruce Friedrich | Ep. 109, Feb 24, 2026

Vasile’s response: My concerns about cultivated meat are not about a lack of empathy for animals. It is disappointing to see that characterization. My concerns are structural and political.

For example, much of the industry has relied on fetal bovine serum (FBS), derived from the blood of unborn calves, as a growth medium. Even if companies aim to transition away from FBS, it is not yet clear that fully animal-free, scalable alternatives are viable. Some current research explores inputs such as ocular fluid and other animal-derived components.

There is also a growing body of peer-reviewed research suggesting that cultivated meat may, depending on production methods and energy inputs, generate green house gas emission even greater than factory farms.

Finally, leaders within the industry have openly discussed hybrid products that combine cultivated cells with conventionally farmed animal inputs, positioning this as a pathway to greater profitability and market expansion. That raises serious questions about whether the technology displaces industrial animal agriculture or expands it.

I do agree with Bruce on one point: he says he cannot understand the critique. That is an honest statement. There is a genuine strategic divide in the movement about whether technological substitution transforms animal agriculture or simply expands it. 

Most importantly: disagreement about strategy is not indifference to animal suffering; that characterization is what has harmed us as a movement for a long time. It is unfortunate he would choose to frame our disagreement in those terms

Debate: first half: https://howwewin.squarespace.com/videos/v/66xhzljk9ztd2fcarjhmbnpf2fer4r

Second half: https://howwewin.squarespace.com/videos/v/l38zdy5c37l2cc8mmn4kbkcxaes6r3

Interview on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glr3tQRmNFA

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