Leonardo DiCaprio consolidates his environmental ‘soul’ and invests in the sector of sustainable cultivated meat which aims to transform the way beef is produced. The two innovative companies Aleph Farms e Mosa Meat of the emerging cultured meat sector have in fact announced an investment in their activities by the environmental activist and Oscar-winning actor Leonardo Dicaprio. Aleph Farms and Mosa Meat have already demonstrated the ability to produce beef directly from animal cells, with the presentation of the first hamburger grown by Mosa Meat in 2013 and the first steak and ribeye grown by Aleph Farms in 2018 and 2021 respectively. “One of the most effective ways to combat the climate crisis is to transform our food system,” said Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Academy Award-winning actor noted that “Mosa Meat and Aleph Farms offer new ways to meet global demand for beef, solving some of the most pressing problems of today’s industrial meat production. I am very pleased to join them as an advisor and investor, as they prepare to let consumers discover cultured beef. “With global meat consumption projected to grow 40-70% by 2050, cultured meat offers a solution to significantly reduce the negative impacts of industrial beef production Cultured meat will also allow those who want to continue to eat meat to do so by eliminating the need for any major behavioral changes.
Analysts have predicted that the cultured meat market could reach $ 25 billion by 2030, as part of the broader protein transformation. Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat, commented that “Leonardo DiCaprio’s work to bring about positive change is closely aligned with Mosa Meat’s mission. We are thrilled to bring him on board as a consultant and investor and to work together to nurture current generations. and future in a sustainable way “. Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms noted that “As a committed environmentalist, we welcome Leonardo DiCaprio on our advisory board and our family of investors. Our team is committed to improving the sustainability of our global food systems and we are thrilled that Leo shares our vision. ”
According to an independent study – reported by the two innovative companies – on life cycle analysis, cultured beef production is expected to reduce climate impact by 92%, 93% air pollution, use 95% less soil and 78% less water than industrial beef production. Cultivated beef production offers the opportunity to use the saved land for habitat renaturalization, naturally reducing emissions, or to produce more food for people. Furthermore, the automated process by which cultured meat is produced, and the sterile environment of its production, it will eliminate the use of antibiotics and greatly reduce the risk of pathogens, contaminants and foodborne diseases associated with concentrated and intensive farming.
Specifically, Aleph Farms grows beef steaks, from non-genetically modified cells isolated from a live cow, without harming animals and with a significantly reduced impact on the environment. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Didier Toubia, The Kitchen Hub of the Strauss Group, and Professor Shulamit Levenberg of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology’s Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. Mosa Meat, on the other hand, is a global company of food technology that is experimenting with a cleaner and more sustainable way of producing real beef. The founders introduced the world’s first grown beef burger in 2013, growing it directly from cow cells. Founded in 2016, Mosa Meat is now increasing production of the same beef, but in a healthier way for people, animals and the planet. Based in Maastricht, The Netherlands, Mosa Meat is a privately held company backed by Blue Horizon, M Ventures, Bell Food Group, Nutreco, Mitsubishi and others.