The Netherlands Government has announced €60 million in initial funding to expand and develop its domestic cellular agriculture ecosystem, in what is the world’s largest government investment to date in cellular agriculture, the science that produces cultivated meat.
The record-breaking funds have been allocated through the country’s National Growth Fund and will be invested in education and innovation. The investment marks just the first step toward supporting a significant growth plan for the local cellular agriculture sector, as the Netherlands Government highlighted its plans to invest a further €252 to €382 million in the sector in coming years. The funding proposal was secured by a new consortium called Cellular Agriculture Netherlands, consisting of 12 organisations across academia, not-for-profits, start-ups and key industry players.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Netherlands Parliament approved cultivated meat tastings for the first time, with many local industry insiders hoping this latest development will cement the country’s trajectory as a world leader in the cellular agriculture field.
“We are very excited for the visionary leadership the Dutch government is demonstrating,” explained Ira van Eelen in a statement on behalf of the Dutch Cellular Agriculture Foundation.
“The Netherlands is the ideal place for cellular agriculture to flourish. It has a rich history in laying the global foundations of cellular agriculture. It is a global powerhouse in alternative protein and food innovation.”
“It has a global frontrunner position in biotechnology and agriculture. It is the second biggest exporter of traditional agricultural products in the world. It was the first country to publicly fund cultivated meat research and present the first proof of concept hamburger to the world. This is a great way to grow sustainably while our growth is currently under pressure.”
The Netherlands has a strong history of leading developments in cellular agriculture and in particular cultivated meat. In 2013, Dutch start-up Mosa Meat – a member of the Cellular Agriculture Netherlands consortium – developed the world’s first cultivated beef hamburger.
In a statement on the Dutch government’s spending plans, Mosa Meat said: “We hope that this impulse will attract more companies, more funding, and more collaboration across the cellular agriculture field in The Netherlands over the next few years.”
READ MORE: Dutch government invests record €60M to boost cellular meat & agriculture [Food Ingredients First] and
Dutch Government Awards €60 Million To Domestic Cellular Agriculture Ecosystem [Green Queen Media}
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