Israel-based start-up Aleph Farms has signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation’s Food Industry Group, as the companies look to bring cultivated meat to Japan.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will see the companies work together with the aim of selling cultivated meat in Japan, in an effort to help the country meet climate change and food security goals.
As part of the deal, Aleph Farms will use its manufacturing platform BioFarm for the cultivation of whole-muscle steaks, while Mitsubishi will provide its expertise in biotechnology processes, branded food manufacturing and local distribution channels in Japan.
“The MoU with Mitsubishi Corporation’s Food Industry Group marks an important milestone for us, as we methodically build the foundations of our global go-to-market activities with selected partners,” said Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms.
The collaboration is in line with the Japanese government’s goal of achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, up from its previous target of 80%. The densely populated country reportedly relies on importing over 60% of its food and resources from abroad, but since 2000, the government has sought to raise the nation’s food self-sufficiency rate.
Both companies are members of the Cellular Agriculture Study Group, a consortium implementing policy proposals under the Japanese Center for Rule-Making Strategy.
In April 2020, Aleph Farms committed to eliminating emissions associated with its meat production by 2025 and reach the same net-zero emissions across its entire supply chain by 2030.
The partnership comes after Eat Just was granted regulatory approval for its cultured meat to be sold in Singapore, in what was deemed a ‘world first’.
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