Florida banned lab-grown meat this week in a decision that was derided by many commentators as a silly encroachment on the free market, but the Sunshine State’s policy is actually protecting an industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people from destruction.

While not yet a widely available commercial product, lab-grown meat, which is grown from existing animal cells, is widely seen as the future of food production. Advocates of the product say it is no different from farm-grown meat and is necessary to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.