Technological landscapes and sustainable transitions: reconfiguring the meat industry in Asia

Asia, responsible for over 40% of global meat production, faces a profound sustainability challenge amplified by unique regional pressures. Surging incomes are projected to drive per capita global meat consumption, intensifying environmental footprints and exposing systemic vulnerabilities, including import dependence, zoonotic disease risks, and eroding consumer trust. The imperative to shift toward more sustainable meat production systems is now widely recognized. However, Asia's pathway to transformation is distinct from trajectories observed in other regions. Based on a systematic review of the literature, this article identifies a distinctive "Asian Hybrid Transition Model" that characterizes the region's response. Rather than displacing conventional production systems through technological substitution, this model integrates novel technologies, such as digital tools, biotechnology, and circular economy principles, with existing industrial frameworks through three mutually reinforcing forces: corporate-led investment, state-backed orchestration, and digitally enabled intermediation. While emerging technologies, including precision livestock farming, circular economy systems, plant-based alternatives, and cultivated meat, demonstrate considerable promise, they also face persistent scientific, economic, and consumer acceptance challenges. The model also generates critical tensions between corporate consolidation and equitable access, technological efficiency and smallholder livelihoods, and environmental metrics and cultural legitimacy. Navigating these contradictions is paramount to shaping a sustainable and resilient trajectory for Asia's meat industry.