The Netherlands government has set aside €60 million via its its National Growth Fund into growing the alternative protein industry – focusing especially on cellular meat and agriculture. The funding will be used mainly to invest in education and innovation in this emerging industry.
Cellular agriculture is the technology to produce animal products like milk and meat directly from cells, and is regarded as a critically important technology as the world grapples with shortages in food production.
In addition, traditional agriculture is one of the biggest environmental polluters in the world.
This latest investment was the single largest public capital contribution in the cellular agriculture field anywhere in the world.
It represents an initial step in an even more ambitious growth plan, which seeks to invest €252 to €382 million in cellular agriculture in the coming years.
The Netherlands has a strong history of innovating food production. This public investment in cellular agriculture demonstrates the Dutch government’s commitment to building an agricultural ecosystem that is healthy and sustainable.