Lowering dependence on traditional meat products is vital to ensure the future of food security, sustainable agriculture, and the environment. On December 7, non-profit XPrize, in collaboration with ASPIRE, the Good Food Institute, and the Tony Robbins Foundation, has launched a four-year competition, called Feed The Next Billion, that focuses on this issue. Their goals are to reform the global meat industry by encouraging the development of delicious chicken and fish alternatives.
The current global population is roughly 7.7 billion. However, that figure is expected to rise to approximately 10 billion by 2050, which raises serious concerns about the impact of current agricultural methods with so many people to feed. Getting our protein from sources other than traditional meats is one of the many eco-friendly solutions to produce enough food for all the people without jeopardizing its natural ecosystems and wildlife.
In the competition, contestants are asked to replicate the look, taste, and feel of chicken and fish. The winning teams will then be asked to create consistent cuts of meat that cook like the real thing and offer equal nutritional value. The alternative chicken and fish must have a lower environmental footprint than traditional meats. The teams will also need to demonstrate how production can be scaled up for distribution across the world.
Peter H. Diamandis, MD, the founder of XPrize, explained:
Billions of individuals do and will desire higher quality protein as a food source, but the earth is incapable of providing this with traditional livestock. A much more sustainable, scalable methodology is required. XPrize Feed the Next Billion seeks to create poultry and fish that is affordable, sustainable, more nutritious, and at a lower cost than mechanisms now in place. We believe hundreds of entrepreneurs will focus on driving breakthroughs in this critical and important area to help feed the world.
For those who desire to compete, registration is open now until April 28, 2021. The Feed the Next Billion XPrize winners will be announced in 2024.
