Just a couple months ago, we shared the news that Tyson Foods, the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, raising their stakes in plant-based protein producer Beyond Meat, makers of the vegan Beyond Burger. And now Tyson is yet again reaffirming their commitment to moving away from factory farming! The $150 million dollar venture capital arm of Tyson just invested in Memphis Meats, San Francisco-based makers of “clean meat” or “cultured” meat!
While the terms of the investment are undisclosed, this is a yet another huge step forward towards sustainable meat options. Tyson joins other top investors including Bill Gates, Richard Branson, KBW Ventures (led by Prince Khaled), and even major beef supplier and global food conglomerate, Cargill. Memphis Meats has already succeeded at producing a lab-cultured meatball and chicken nugget. With the investment from Tyson, Memphis Meats is expected to ramp up their product development.
Around half of the world’s arable land and a majority of our freshwater stores are dedicated to grazing livestock and growing feed – and yet, nearly one billion people currently suffering from hunger. If our collective demand for animal products continues to grow as we approach a population of 9.8 billion by 2050, we simply won’t have the space or water needed to keep up.
The reality is, people are likely never going to stop eating meat – but if they have the option to choose a product that is better for the environment and animals then we could truly see a major shift in our food system. We cannot afford to keep consuming the amount of meat that we do, using the factory farm system. By moving away from giant animal feeding operations that produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation industry – in addition to water pollution – and concentrating meat production to contained labs, we start to heal the planet and, importantly, feed our population without causing undue harm.
We are thrilled to see Tyson Foods continue to take part in the move towards a more sustainable future. As the population becomes more aware of the impact of industrialized agriculture, the demand for plant-based proteins and clean meat will only keep growing.
“Our vision is for the world to eat what it loves, in a way that addresses today’s challenges for the environment, animal welfare, and public health. We are accelerating our work and building out a world-class team to make this a reality,” said Uma Valeti, M.D., Co-Founder and CEO of Memphis Meats.
We can’t wait to see what Memphis Meat has in store next! For more information about trends in the plant-based food space and new companies joining in.
To learn more about clean meat and the people working to make it a reality, check out this recent episode of the #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias podcast featuring Bruce Friedrich:
Lead Image Source: Memphis Meats
I am too upset over the stories of Tyson cruelty to animals to want to buy any of their products, even if the products themselves are vet. I know it is hard to be perfect, when all the world is owned by a handful of companies… but I will stick with tofurky italian sausages- YUM!