Climate and environmental crises call for a complete re-thinking of contemporary ways of producing and consuming food, and meat in particular. Cultured meat has emerged in the last years as an attractive alternative to its “traditional” counterpart, depicted as more sustainable and ethical, hence a potentially important part of a strategy for sustainable food transitions in between the challenges of the Anthropocene: the era when human and natural destinies become evidently intertwined. Yet, this novel food has also encountered significant resistance and raised heated debates among scientists and publics, including regarding its capacity to significantly impact food system sustainability. Technical assessments are important to address this important issue, yet it is also crucial to understand social and political dimensions. First, technologies must be considered in context, including economic, legal and cultural systems, which influence design and uses. Second, for sustainable transitions to be acceptable, they should also be just and fair, especially for most fragile subjects. My approach proposes a comprehensive and multi-level assessment of the capacity of cultured meat to become part of a sustainable and just food transition. Based on a political ecology perspective, my presentation will focus on three interconnected concerns, that tackle different dimensions of food tech, innovation and just sustainability. First, I will propose an ethnographic approach to cultured meat development, to study its processes of labour, value and symbolic construction as part of a wider turn towards the “bioeconomy” and its promises of sustainability. Secondly, controversy mapping is employed to show how technologies are framed by different actors, evidencing their political implications and promoting forms of participatory democracy and “convivial” innovation. Finally, the potential social uses of this novel food will be considered, through an approach that goes beyond mere “acceptability” and instead reflects on needs, desirability and equitable access to nutritious food. The case for a comparative global perspective is also made, through a global comparative case study analysis.