THE EARTH IS AT A TIPPING POINT AND WE FACE A STARK CHOICE: EITHER WE CONTINUE AS WE ARE AND IRREPARABLY DAMAGE OUR PLANET, OR WE REMEMBER OUR UNIQUE POWER AS HUMAN BEINGS AND OUR CONTINUAL ABILITY TO LEAD, INNOVATE AND PROBLEM-SOLVE.
– Prince William, Founder of the Earthshot Prize
Can a bright future be a piece of meat? Technion’s slaughter-free steak is gaining recognition and acclaim from leaders across the world, as tissue engineering offers sustainable ways to feed the world without cruelty to animals and damage to the earth’s ecosystem.
Environmental concerns, a hungry and expanding world population, and the rise of vegetarian diets are making Aleph Farms a key player in the food tech industry. Co-founded in 2017 by Didier Toubia and Prof. Shulamit Levenberg of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, the company developed the world’s first slaughter-free ribeye steak by 3D bioprinting non-GMO cow cells. The engineered steak uses just a fraction of the land and water required to raise traditional cattle, it cuts greenhouse gas emissions drastically, and will not harm animals. Media reporters have hailed the taste and texture of the steak, which in the near future will be coming to a supermarket near you.
Prince William and Sir David Attenborough showcased the breakthrough in the first episode of “The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet,” considered the Nobel Prize for Environmentalism. “What’s produced is not just similar to beef – it is beef,” said Sir David Attenborough.
In addition, environmental activist and Academy Award winning actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, has joined Aleph Farms as an investor and board member. “Aleph’s extraordinary technology platform combined with their inclusive approach to bringing about systemic change in our food systems make them a leader in this field. With their one-of-a-kind cultivated steaks, they demonstrate how creativity and ingenuity can help solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges,” said DiCaprio.
THEY DEMONSTRATE HOW CREATIVITY AND INGENUITY CAN HELP SOLVE SOME OF HUMANITY’S GREATEST CHALLENGES.
– Leonardo DiCaprio, Board member of Aleph Farms
“Growing meat like this is really so fast. It takes just three weeks compared with an average of two years using conventional methods of growing meat and it uses a fraction of the resources required for raising an entire animal for meat,” explains Prof. Levenberg in the Earthshot documentary which was released in the run-up to the COP26 United Nations climate talks. “It’s great to see the reaction when people try our cultured meat for the first time – it’s such a surprise – that realization that this is meat but we’ve not killed any cows to have it. It makes me feel proud to be doing this. We’re helping give people choices that help the planet.”
IT TASTED OF A FUTURE FREE OF ANY FEELINGS OF GUILT FOR CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AND POLLUTION OF MOTHER EARTH. BUT REALLY, IT TASTED JUST LIKE A GOOD STEAK.
– The Times