Leonardo DiCaprio invests in cell-based meat company Mosa Meat
Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in cell-based meat company Mosa Meat. The 47-year-old Academy-Award winning actor has also joined the company as an advisor.
Based in Maastricht, in the Netherlands, Mosa Meat was co-founded in 2016 by Peter Verstrate and Prof. Mark Post after showcasing the world’s first cultured beef burger in London in 2013.
Mosa Meat uses cell-based technology to produce beef burgers and plans to produce other types of meat in the future.
With a a 0.5 gram cell sample from a cow, the company can produce 80,000 beef burgers. The sample, the size of a popcorn, is extracted from an animal under anaesthesia by a vet. The cells are then grown in a lab where they develop muscle and fat.
With no need rear animals and send them to slaughter, cultured meat has been hailed as not just environmentally friendly, but ethical too.
Mosa Meat shared the news of DiCaprio’s investment in a press release and on Linkedin.
After the announcement of his investor and advisor role, today (22.09.2022), Leonardo DiCaprio said: “One of the most impactful ways to combat the climate crisis is to fundamentally reshape our global food system. Mosa Meat pioneered a cleaner, kinder way of making real beef with the world’s first cultivated beef burger in 2013.
“I’m honored to join them as advisor and investor as they now prepare to bring cultivated beef to market for all those who crave change“.
Maarten Bosch, Mosa Meat CEO, commented: “Leonardo DiCaprio’s work to bring about positive change for the planet is closely aligned with our mission at Mosa Meat. We are thrilled to bring him on board as advisor and investor and work together to feed current and future generations sustainably.”
Dr. Owen Lozman, Managing Director of M Ventures, an investment company that sits on the board of Mosa Meat, added: “We are excited to welcome Leonardo DiCaprio as investor and advisor to Mosa Meat. His strong endorsement is testament to the positive impact of Mosa Meat’s sustainable and cruelty-free meat production. Leonardo joins a growing syndicate of highly engaged and supportive investors across the technology and food supply chains and will be an important advocate to increase public awareness of the impact of the daily choices we make at the supermarket and how they effect our environment!”
According to a study by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), cultivated meat uses a much smaller amount of land to produce meat compared to the traditional method of rearing animals. It also consumes a significantly smaller amount of energy, reducing climate impact by 92%, thus making it a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to the standard production of meat.
Leonardo DiCaprio is just one of the public personalities investing in alternative proteins and plant-based companies. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, TV mogul Oprah Winfrey and tennis champions Serena Williams and Roger Federer have all invested in greener food solutions.
