Cultivated Meat as Part of the Meat Industry Sustainably Feeding the World
I have been on a 30+ year journey to improve our food system. First in Washington DC with the Milk Mustache program to help consumers get the nutrition they need and to help the Dairy Industry rebound from years of decline.
Then on to Boulder ,where I spent time helping usher in Silk Soy Milk as a viable option for consumers via the acquisition by Dean Foods.
Finally, during the past 20 years on premium/specialty meat - Coleman, Niman Ranch, Perdue, Teton Waters Ranch & Sun Fed Ranch - all brands on a mission, all leading the industry down a path of "better", all focused on consumer demand based on truthful claims and meaningful attributes.
My latest endeavor makes the prior ones seem small - today I am honored to join the Meatable team as CEO and am enthusiastic about leading a transformative change in the meat industry. Innovation around cultivated proteins is an investment in a sustainable future and I am humbled to be part of it.
Today we live in a world where 8 billion people overwhelm a planet which can only handle 6 billion (without harming it). Pushing the planet past its point of resiliency is upon us - Climate Change is impacting rainfall, with only 3% of the Earth's water being fresh, drought and evaporation are increasing as temperatures rise, aquifers are being depleted at a rate which is not sustainable. 37% of all U.S. fresh water is used for Ag and with a growing population - we accelerate the water supply problem. Soil health (organic matter/topsoil) are degrading at an equally alarming rate - an estimated 1/3 of the U.S. Midwest farmland is deemed non-productive due to poor soil health. Combined, these two issues are a National Security concern - Food & Water. This is not just a U.S. problem - this is a global dilemma - we need additional options in the meat industry.
Over the next several years, I will work to help Meatable and the Cultivated Meats Industry become an agent of positive change as part of the meat industry. We must create a paradigm shift which allows us (the meat industry) to help reduce the stress on our planet while providing the protein the growing population demands. If we fail to address these pressing environmental challenges, the consequences for the global population will be dire. It is crucial that governments, the UN, and industries adopt a forward-thinking approach to planetary stewardship.
Cultivated Meat can, and should, become part of the meat industry's solution for feeding the world - sustainably, humanely, and in an earth-friendly fashion - using Real Meat and Real Science to create a Real Solution.
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2wThey better have a funny handshake or I'm out.