Cellular Agriculture Europe, the newly established association representing the cellular agriculture industry in Europe, held this week its first General Assembly meeting. These companies are making the same foods Europeans love in a new way. Cellular agriculture requires only a small sample of animal cells to grow meat, fish, and oils without growing the whole animal.
The meeting was the occasion to elect the Board of Directors of the association and to agree on the mission of Cellular Agriculture Europe: to bring together producers of cultivated meat, seafood, ingredients, and products with stakeholders to find common ground and speak with a shared voice for the good of the industry, consumers, and regulators.
The General Assembly comprising 13 member companies* elected the following five representatives on the Board of Directors:
- Chris Dammann, Chief Operating Officer (Bluu Biosciences)
- Etienne Duthoit, CEO and Co-Founder (Vital Meat)
- Robert E. Jones, Head of Public Affairs (Mosa Meat)
- Beth Loberant, Head of Regulatory Affairs (SuperMeat)
- Hélène Miller, Head of European Affairs (Aleph Farms)
Mr. Robert E. Jones was appointed President of the Board and stated: ‘I am excited and honoured to serve as the first President of Cellular Agriculture Europe. Addressing the role the food system plays in the climate crisis is a pressing need. Cellular agriculture will add a powerful tool to the collective effort to create a healthier and greener food system in Europe.’
In order to make this essential transition possible, innovation must be integrated within the existing agri-food ecosystem. The successful introduction of cellular agriculture adds a powerful new tool to achieve the goals in Horizon Europe and the Farm to Fork strategy and, in combination with reforms to conventional agriculture practices, the cellular agriculture industry will play an integral role in the success of the European Green Deal. ‘We believe in a future where cellular agriculture, in combination with sustainability reforms to conventional agricultural practices, helps Europe meet its growing demand for protein while giving consumers the opportunity to choose delicious and safe meat and seafood products’, concluded Mr. Jones.
*Aleph Farms, Bluu Biosciences, Cubiq Foods, Future Meat, Gourmey, Higher Steaks, Ivy Farm, Meatable, Mirai Foods, Mosa Meat, Peace of Meat, SuperMeat, Vital Meat.