For many of those concerned about the future of the planet, giving up meat is seen as a major way for people to reduce the impact they have on the environment. Producing beef, for example, requires large amounts of water, land for grazing and emits tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. But now Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft and philanthropist, has said it may in fact be possible to keep eating meat and still care for the planet. Scroll down for video . Bill Gates, a failed vegetarian, says the world's demand for meat can be met with 'moderation and innovation' In his most recent blog post, the world's richest man, has defended meat eating, saying was unrealistic to expect large numbers of people to become vegetarian. He also explains that some of the impacts of meat farming have been overstated. Instead he believes it will be possible to provide enough meat for the world's growing population as demand in developing countries increases. Scientists have already cooked up the first test tube beef burger, but now researchers in Israel are working on the world's first lab-grown chicken. Professor Amit Gefen, a bioengineer at Tel Aviv University, . has begun a year-long feasibility study into manufacturing . chicken in a lab, funded by a non-profit group called the Modern . Agriculture Foundation which hopes 'cultured meat' will one day . replace the raising of animals for slaughter. The foundation's co-founder Shir Friedman hopes to have . produced 'a recipe for how to culture chicken cells' by the end . of the year. The researchers say their task is more difficult than . producing the first lab-grown hamburger, a $300,000 beef patty . cooked up at Maastricht University in the Netherlands after five . years of research financed by Google co-founder Sergey . Brin. To make the beef burger muscle fibers were grown in the lab from stem cells taken from a cow. These tiny chunks were then combined to make the beef burger. Those who tasted it said it was like meat, but not 'juicy'. Professor Gefen, however, is hoping to make a whole piece of . chicken, starting from a single cell. He said: 'Although it might be possible to get people in richer countries to eat less or shift toward less-intensive meats like chicken, I don't think it's realistic to expect large numbers of people to make drastic reductions. 'Evolution turned us into omnivores. 'But there are reasons to be optimistic. For one thing, the world's appetite for meat may eventually level off. 'Consumption has plateaued and even declined a bit in many rich countries, including France, Germany, and the United States. 'I also believe that innovation will improve our ability to produce meat.' The consumption of meat has met with considerable criticism in recent years as climate change experts have warned about the harm it is doing to the planet. A recent report from Chatham House said that the global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than cars, planes, trains and ships combined. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also found that dietary change was also necessary to 'substantially lower' emissions. Lord Stern, the economist appointed by the British government to assess the financial impacts of climate change, has also urged people to give up meat. However, calls for widespread vegetarianism have been deeply unpopular with the general public. Some researchers have also estimated that it takes several thousand litres of water to produce just one kilogram of beef due to the water needed to grow feed for them. Cattle, like those above, and other livestock produce more greenhouse gas globally than transport emissions . Bill Gates has invested some of his fortune into projects aimed at finding sustainable solutions to problems in poverty stricken areas of the world including turning sewage water into clean drinking water (shown above) This makes livestock farming increasingly difficult in areas hit by drought. Cattle grazing can also take valuable land that could be used to grow more affordable agricultural crops. Demand for meat is expected to soar over the next 30 years or so, with global beef consumption rising from 64 million tonnes in 2005 to 106 million tonnes in 2050 according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations. It also says pork demand will rise from 100 million tonnes to 143 million tonnes and chicken consumption will increase from 82 million tonnes to 181 million tonnes. However, Mr Gates, who set up the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife to fund research into sustainable technology that can tackle poverty around the world, said some of the impacts of meat have been overstated. He points to research that suggests most of the water needed for livestock production is known as green-water, which is used to grow grass. Global demand for beef, like the steak above, is expected to soar to 181 million tonnes by 2050 but Mr Gates says that it should be possible to meet this as some of the environmental impacts of meat are overstated . Most of this green water comes from rainfall and also evaporates back into the atmosphere, meaning it is not lost. He said: 'One study that excluded green water found that it takes just 44 litres – not thousands – to produce a kilo of beef.' Mr Gates has also been funding new research projects aimed at producing meat substitutes and says he has been impressed with the results. Companies like Beyond Meat and Hampton Creek Foods have been experimenting with turning plant proteins into foods that taste and look like meat and eggs. Mr Gates also explains that he once dabbled with being vegetarian himself in his late twenties but found he couldn't keep it going. He argues that meat is an important source of nutrition needed to help children develop healthy and said it was important that people in developing countries have access to these foods. He said: 'With a little moderation and more innovation, I do believe the world can meet its need for meat.'
Billionaire Microsoft founder has defended meat eating in his latest blog . Green campaigners are pushing for global reduction in meat consumption . Climate studies say livestock emit more greenhouse gases than transport . Bill Gates says some environmental impacts of meat have been overstated .