Will Animal Agriculture Be Eliminated? Anuj Maheshwari, Head of Agri-Food Investing at Temasek Responds

Live from Future Food Tech: Anuj Maheshwari, Head of Agri-Food Investing at Temasek discusses their strategy for plant-based innovation and alternative proteins throughout the supply chain. Enjoy this episode of The Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano.

Specifically, they discuss

1. Predictions for growth (or decline) of plant-based innovation, precision fermentation and cultivated meat.
2. Temasek’s Investment strategy for same.
3. Implications for the growth of plant-based innovation for food security and international politics.

Here is a short clip and transcript from their conversation.

Elysabeth: We all know that the global food supply system is shifting. That we know.  We have no choice; it’s happening. But these kinds of interesting partnerships, what do you see coming out of that?

Anuj Maheshwari: No, absolutely. I think it’s fascinating when we started this journey.  We spoke to all the big boys. All the big names you talked about. There was such a large amount of scepticism. You know, “This doesn’t work.  Cost is going to be an issue.  How are you going to scale up? What if customers don’t like it? Remember GMO?” And I think the tide has completely shifted where the forward-looking large corporations are now much more in the partnership mode. They want to work with these companies. They realize that real innovation is coming out of it, so if we see ourselves somewhere in the middle being able to put a large amount of capital to work, but more as investors. So, we can provide that long term strategic capital, but we do not necessarily come with some of the constraints that the strategic investor comes in with.

Coming to your point with predictions, I certainly see these kinds of partnerships going stronger and stronger going forward. All of my conversations with the large companies and many of them we have seen over here are very much forward looking. They have created separate teams and they have created VCs. I have gotten to know some of the investment dollars that they have made, and I was completely taken aback, Elysabeth. These are not small amounts that these companies are putting in. So, they’re putting some serious capital behind some of these startups and that’s only going to increase hopefully.

Elysabeth: Do they see this as a, “Yes and?” So, in addition to the animal feed that ADM produces, and they are continuing to produce animal feed, is alternative proteins and plant-based innovation a, “Yes and?” play or do they ultimately see it as a replacement down the line?

Source: https://vegconomist.com/plantbased-business-hour/will-animal-agriculture-be-eliminated-anuj-maheshwari-head-of-agri-food-investing-at-temasek-responds/