ADM and Believer Meats, a leading pioneer of the cultivated meat industry, announced April 12 that they have signed a non-exclusive memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on new ways to propel the development and commercialization of cultivated meat products.

“With a global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, ADM is working with partners across the value chain to meet food security and sustainability needs by expanding the protein ecosystem,” said Leticia Gonçalves, ADM’s president of Global Foods. “Cultivated meat represents an exciting evolution and yet another way to meet long-term food security needs — along with other traditional and novel sources of protein. Seven in 10 consumers are aware of cultivated meat, and with flexitarians representing more than half of consumers globally, there is an important opportunity to continue to expand the universe of protein choices.”

She continued, “We’re proud to work with a true innovator like Believer to explore new ingredients and solutions to propel the development of these exciting products, and excited to continue to add valuable partners as we work across the industry to meet growing demand driven by the enduring trends of food security and sustainability.”

Gustavo Burger, chief executive officer of Believer, said they are thrilled to partner with ADM in driving innovation to expand the emerging cultivated meat industry. “Our shared commitment to sustainability and expanding protein choices for consumers makes this collaboration a natural fit. By pairing ADM's leading expertise in ingredient application development, and complete nutrition solutions they bring to their customers, with our groundbreaking cell-cultivation technology, with its unmatched efficiency and scalability, we aim to accelerate the development and commercialization of high-quality, safe, and delicious meat products that deliver on the increasing demands of our growing global population. Together, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of the protein industry and create a more sustainable food system for generations to come,” he commented.

Under the terms of the MOU, the companies intend to work together to explore a wide variety of opportunities spanning the cultivated meat production process, with a focus on bringing ADM’s vast ingredient pantry and expertise in complete nutrition solutions to enhance Believer’s proprietary cell-cultivated meat process. The non-exclusive agreement also lays out a path to further support the partnership and industry growth by utilizing ADM’s processing expertise and footprint to potentially commercialize new products arising from the collaboration.

Believer Meats (formerly Future Meat Technologies) is a cultivated meat company pioneering the first scalable lab-grown meat production system that can feed the world. Founded in 2018 by Prof. Yaakov Nahmias, Believer's mission is to ensure that future generations can enjoy the meat we know and love. Believer is building a better future for people, animals and the planet with meat that is delicious, sustainable, nutritious, and broadly accessible.