Last week, North Carolina State University announced that Jeff Bezos' charity, the Bezos Earth Fund, donated $30 million over five years to establish a research facility for manufacturing fake meat products, both plant and cell-based proteins.
According to the release, "The Earth Fund has committed $100 million to establish a network of open-access research and development centers focused on sustainable protein alternatives, expanding consumer choices."
The research center, named the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein, will include multiple partners from academics and industry, as well as chefs and policymakers, to research, create, and commercialize new technologies for manufacturing various protein products.
“Alternative proteins are unlikely to displace animal proteins,” said Bill Aimutis, co-principal investigator on the grant and co-director of the new center who has experience working with sustainable protein producers and start-up companies. “It is difficult to create an alternative protein product that rivals the flavor and texture of meat and that is also appealing and affordable for consumers. This center is more interested in growing the sustainable protein industry as another option for consumers rather than displacing animal proteins.”
According to the release, "The grant funding will support research on three types of sustainable proteins: plant-based products; precision fermentation to produce proteins and nutrients that can be used in food formulations; and cultivated meat grown from animal cells."
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