The Plantbased Business Hour Future of Protein Production 2024
May 2, 2024
In a thought-provoking discussion, Aleh Manchuliantsau, the visionary founder of Planetarians, and Fengru Lin, the innovative CEO of TurtleTree, dive deep into the future of protein production. They explore how repurposing food waste can combat food insecurity and the role of biotech in producing animal-free milk. Their insights on the importance of partnerships and resilience in supply chains reveal the shifting landscape of food technology investments. The conversation highlights the urgency of sustainability amid global challenges, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of food.
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Blended Capital Drives Food Tech
- Food tech investments are part of a $300-500 billion yearly plan addressing climate impact of agriculture.
- Blended capital involving VCs, governments, philanthropists, and Wall Street is the future funding model.
Turtle Tree’s Pivot to Profitable Protein
- Turtle Tree shifted from aiming to produce milk to focusing on lactoferrin, a high-value milk protein.
- This pivot was driven by feedback about milk's low price and better profitability prospects with lactoferrin.
Upcycling Byproducts for Meat
- Planetarians uses low-cost byproducts from beer and vegetable oil industries to create affordable meat alternatives.
- This strategy enables margins by leveraging waste streams rather than expensive isolated proteins.