Amazon founder Jeff Bezos‘ charity will spend a whopping $100 million to facilitate the development of fake meat products.
The Bezos Earth Fund will fund alternative protein development, which it says is an important initiative because food production is a “major source of greenhouse gas emissions.”
The charity is giving $30 million to North Carolina State over five years to build a research and development hub for fake meat products.
Andrew Steer, the president and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, said:
“Food production is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, so it’s critical we find ways to feed a growing population without degrading the planet.”
“Sustainable protein has tremendous potential but more research is needed to reduce the price and boost the flavor and texture to ensure nutritious, affordable products are available. It’s about choice.”
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The Daily Caller reported: Some of the products that the funding will help develop include plant-based products, fermented cells that can be used in food products and lab-grown meat from cultivated animal cells, according to the Bezos Earth Fund.
The charity announced $60 million of funding for the fake meat push in March.
The spending is part of a larger, $1 billion effort to transform food production to bring down emissions and fight climate change, according to the Bezos Earth Fund.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report on agriculture in December 2023 before the end of last year’s United Nations climate change conference.
The FAO — which is headed by Qu Dongyu, a former Chinese vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs — advised policymakers to change agricultural systems to counter climate change and posited that people in wealthier countries like the U.S. can improve their personal health and the health of the planet by cutting back on their meat consumption.
