Articles | Volume 81, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-665-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-665-2026
Standard article
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03 Nov 2026
Standard article |  | 03 Nov 2026

Artificial protein in the Capitalocene: Blade Runner 2049

Johan Höglund
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Latest update: 03 Nov 2026
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Short summary
This article discusses the film Blade Runner 2049, which envisions a dystopian future where both food and human beings are grown at protein farms. The article shows how the film comments on the alternative protein transition by envisioning the dark future that may ensue if this transition is guided by the imperative to accumulate capital instead of the needs of the environment. At the same time, the film proposes pathways for the protein transition beyond the paradigm of extraction. 
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