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Speakers
Session Chair
Prof. Mark Tester, Associate Director of the Center for Desert Agriculture & CSO and Co-Founder, Red Sea Farms
Keynotes
Dr. David Welch, CSO and Co-Founder, Synthesis Capital
Mr. David Brandes, Co-Founder and CEO, Planetarygroup
H.R.H. Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, CEO, KBW Ventures
Key messages
1. Current food and agricultural systems are destroying the planet. [1] [2]
2. There is a paradigm shift in food tech underway – a culmination of technologies from multiple sectors unlocks a powerful set of new tools create desirable meat, egg, and dairy products in an efficient and scalable way, with a fraction of the environmental impact.
3. Three core technologies are driving the protein transition: plant-based,[3] cultivated,[4] and fermentation. [5]
4. Demand for alternative proteins is expected to increase dramatically, and with improvements in technology we can expect to see a substantial decrease in price.
5. The livestock industry is heavily subsidized, so achieving price parity between cellular agriculture and livestock production is challenging.
6. The KSA is a relatively huge consumer of meat. [6]
Recommendations
1. Transform the protein industry in the KSA by adopting alternative protein supplies, which will boost the economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce import dependency.[7]
2. Provide regulatory approval for alternative protein in relevant government agencies (e.g., SFDA, MEWA) and partner with companies to facilitate their operation.
3. Ramp up education and awareness campaigns of the public around alternative protein technologies, process, and benefits.
[1] Chicken meat achieves a 13% bioconversion efficiency, while beef 3%. Cycling calories through animals in this way is equivalent to 87-97% food waste in production (Good Food Institute).
[2] 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions are emitted by animal livestock farming (FAO).
[3] Plant-based protein refers to the conversion of crops into ingredients to biomimic animal-derived products optimized for taste, texture, and nutrition (Good Food Institute).
[4] Cultivated protein refers to ingredients and whole products identical to their animal counterparts, produced through culture and tissue engineering (Good Food Institute).
[5] Fermented protein refers to biomass and individual ingredients produced by fermentation (Good Food Institute).
[6] The KSA is the 2nd largest importer of chicken globally (80% of total imported protein), and the largest consumer of red meat in the GCC countries as of 2021 (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service).
[7] If the KSA replaces only 10% of animal protein with fermentation-based protein by 2030, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% and save massive amounts of water (Planetary group).
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