Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has become one of the investors and consultants in the Israeli company Aleph Farms, specializing in producing “steaks from a tube.” N12 reports that DiCaprio joined investors in the latest fundraising campaign that raised $ 105 million.
DiCaprio is investing in and joining the advisory boards of Aleph Farms and Mosa Meat, the two cultivated meat start-ups, said in a statement on September 22.
“Mosa Meat and Aleph Farms offer new ways to satisfy the world’s demand for beef while solving some of the most pressing issues of current industrial beef production,” DiCaprio said in a statement.
“I’m very pleased to join them as an advisor and investor as they prepare to introduce cultivated beef to consumers.”
The Mako edition writes that Aleph Farms and Mosa Meat are two Israeli companies that have proven the possibility of growing meat in the laboratory from animal cells. Mosa Meat introduced its first “in vitro hamburger” back in 2013; in 2018-2021, Aleph Farms introduced steaks and entrecote made from beef produced in laboratories.
DiCaprio believes that the production of artificial meats is an essential contribution to the fight against the environmental crisis.
At the age of 24, DiCaprio founded his own foundation dedicated to protecting the last preserved untouched corners of the Earth, developing solutions aimed at achieving a more harmonious relationship between humanity and nature. Through the provision of grants, public campaigns an,d the implementation of, and climate change problems media projects, DiCaprio was able to attract attention and provide financial support for the protection of biodiversity, the rational use of marine and forest natural resources, and the problems of climate change.
According to the UN website, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation supports more than 35 innovative sustainable resource management projects around the world that help conserve vulnerable ecosystems and key species.
DiCaprio also serves on the boards of directors of several environmental organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund, the Natural Resources Conservation Council, the International Fund for the Protection of Animals, and the Clean Seas and Oceans 5 project.
Aleph Farms was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Rehovot.
DiCaprio also invests in vegan startup Beyond Meat. He has joined in 2017 other celebrity investors in supporting the company’s goal of creating a mass market for vegan plant-based alternatives to meat. These are Bill Gates, Twitter founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, and venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. The former McDonald’s CEO also became an investor, along with the animal protection organization The Humane Society and the Tyson Foods Meat Company.
DiCaprio is the campaign’s voice to popularize the problems of climate change; his foundation donated $20 million to combat the consequences and causes of global warming.
His interests align with Beyond Meat’s mission: to create plant-based foods that look, taste, and texture similar to meat, but have much less damaging effects on the environment by not using farm animals – one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gases.
“Leo is serious when it comes to climate change,” said Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown. “He is a great ally for us. This is not PR. He really believes in what we do and wants to help us grow our business. “
DiCaprio has also invested in vegan plant-based snack company Hippeas and sustainable marine food company LoveTheWild.
“Livestock farms are a major source of greenhouse gases,” DiCaprio said in a statement. “The switch from meat to plant-based meat that Beyond Meat produces is one of the most powerful measures people can take to reduce their negative impact on our climate.”
Beyond Meat increased its sales sevenfold over the past summer, hitting Kroger and Albertsons stores. Brown insisted that Beyond Meat products should be placed next to meat products and not on bio or alternative protein counters in the freezer section.
What is Beyond Meat?
Beyond Meat is a producer of vegetable meat, which includes: pea protein, rice, beets, water, and oil. That is, it is 100% vegan.
The startup Beyond Meat was founded by American Ethan Brown in 2009 in California. Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, former McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson and other wealthiest people who care about the future of our planet have also contributed to the development of vegetable meat.
Since 2016, the vegetable meat startup Beyond Meat has sold 25 million vegetable burgers through retail chains and restaurants.
Why is Beyond Meat so popular?
Vegan burgers are not new. They have been prepared since 1982. But Beyond Meat scientists have developed a formula that makes vegetable meat almost indistinguishable from animal meat in texture, smell, taste, and color.
Beyond Meat products in America include minced meat, burger cutlets, chicken nuggets, and three types of sausages. Bacon and steak are still being developed.
Beyond Meat was created to address major global issues such as threats to human health, climate change, depletion of natural resources,, and animal protection.
The “meat of the future” does not contain GMOs, gluten, soy, antibiotics, cholesterol, hormones, and parasites. And for its manufacture use many times fewer resources than for animal.
In the world, the trend towards vegetarianism is developing rapidly, and the demand for such products has grown by more than 100%. In 2018, sales of vegetable meat in the United States increased by 24%. By comparison, animal meat is only 2%.
Beyond Meat focuses on its four characteristics, which are triggers for the majority of the conscious population: human health, climate change, depletion of natural resources, and animal protection. Emphasizing each point in their communication, they interest the product to the broadest possible range of consumers.
