Aleph Farms partners BRF to bring sustainable alternative protein to meat-loving Brazil

BRAZIL – The meat-loving nation of Brazil will now have an opportunity to taste a sustainable alternative to their preferred animal protein thanks to a new partnership between Israeli cultured meat startup Aleph Farms and Brazilian meat and food company BRF.

According to a report by FoodBev, the two companies will partner to co-develop and produce cultivated meat using Aleph’s patented production platform BioFarm.

BRF’s partnership with Aleph and subsequent entry into the alternative protein market is unprecedented as the company is one of the world’s largest producers of animal protein and a key exporter.

The deal is thus a testament that the conventional meat industry is probably in its sunset years as consumers shift focus to more sustainable alternatives.

“By producing high-quality sustainable cultivated meat, we can further establish our role as agents of transformation in the food industry, by offering the latest innovations in the production of meat,” says Sergio Pinto, director of innovation at BRF.

Under the new partnership, BRF will have the rights to distribute Aleph-backed cultivated beef products in the traditionally meat-heavy Brazil market.

Securing this deal was important for Aleph as Brazil produces and consumers more beef than many regions in the world, says Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms.

Toubia added: “This new partnership advances Aleph Farms’ strategy to integrate into the existing ecosystem as part of our go-to-market plans.

Leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of leading food and meat companies will drive a faster scale-up of cultivated meat and eventually lead to a broader positive impact.”

BRF invests more in alternative protein

As one of the largest meat producers in the world, BRF is cognizant of the rising trends towards alternative proteins.

Analysts at Meticulous Research project that the global alternative protein market will grow at a CAGR of 9.5% from 2019 to reach US$17.9 billion by 2025, buoyed by rising number of buyers demanding plant-based meat product either for clinical reasons or for practicing healthy lifestyle.

In terms of volume, Meticulous Research notes that the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2019 to reach 9,787.4 KMT by 2025.

To align itself with this rising trend, BRF has continued to attract significant alternative protein investments and is now experiencing diversification.

As part of its 2030 Vision strategy, the global meat heavyweight has invested over BRL 155 million in 2020 (US$28.81 million) in projects to reduce environmental impact.

Unveiled last December, the 2030 Vision initiative is expected to garner revenues in excess of BRL 100 billion by 2030 (US$18.5 billion).

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