Hollywood Actor DiCaprio Invests in Cultured Meat Startup

▲Leonardo DiCaprio

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] American Hollywood star actor and climate activist Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in two meat startups that develop and produce lab-grown meat.

According to AFP on the 23rd (local time), DiCaprio purchased shares in 'Aleph Farms' and 'Mosa Meat,' companies developing protein products grown from cow cells, an emerging sector in the alternative meat market. However, the scale of the investment was not disclosed.

Aleph Farms is headquartered in Israel, and Mosa Meat is based in the Netherlands.

DiCaprio is also known to be serving as an advisor to these companies.

DiCaprio stated, "One of the most impactful ways to fight the climate crisis is to change our food system," adding, "Mosa Meat and Aleph Farms offer new ways to meet the world's beef demand while addressing some of the most urgent issues in industrial beef production."

Previously, DiCaprio had publicly invested in 'Beyond Meat,' which develops and sells plant-based meat substitutes such as burgers and sausages.

Aleph Farms grows steaks from non-genetically modified cells isolated from living cows.

Mosa Meat introduced the world's first cultured beef hamburger in 2013, produced using muscle tissue cultivated from cow cells.

AFP reported that advocates of alternative meat consider such ventures a crucial element in addressing climate change.

Traditional livestock management is identified as a source of greenhouse gases because it involves deforestation to produce animal feed and grazing space, as well as emissions from the animals themselves.

However, while plant-based meat has entered mainstream supermarkets, cultured meat remains in the very early stages of commercialization.

The cost of cultured meat is still high, and so far, only Singapore has approved the sale of such products.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.