By 2050, our globe will face the colossal challenge of accommodating 10 billion people. The million-dollar question is: how are we going to feed them? And how are we going to do it in a sustainable manner without killing the planet and without harming the animals that we share this planet with?

Paul Shapiro is the CEO of The Better Meat Co., the author of the national bestselling book, Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, a 4x TEDx speaker, and the Host of the Business for Good Podcast. His business-to-business startup has pioneered a fungi-based alternative to animal meat that is much more sustainably produced, healthier, more affordable, and arguably even better tasting.

❗ What PROBLEMS are The Better Meat Co. solving?

Our modern-day methods for feeding our growing population are unsustainable.

The main culprit? Raising livestock to satisfy the increasing demand for meat as nations become more developed (and hungrier for meat).

Despite the boom of interest in plant-based meat consumption, traditional meat consumption is on an upward trajectory. Unfortunately, this involves major environmental, animal cruelty, and health implications.

Additionally, the UN recently projected that increasing demand for animal protein will likely trigger the next pandemic. Factory farms with windowless warehouses and crammed chickens are the perfect conditions to cultivate a virus.

14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions are traced back to animal farming practices. It's no secret that raising animals necessitates more land, more water, more plants, and more resources from our solitary planet. To make matters worse, raising animals is one of the leading causes of deforestation and it drives climate change, biodiversity loss, and more.

Animal cruelty and disregard for their health are more widely prevalent than most meat consumers are cognizant of. Ignorance is not bliss when your hard-earned dollars are supporting the barbaric treatment of animals (and contradicting your personal values).

🛠️ What is The Better Meat Co.’s SOLUTION?

Pioneering a food technology to grow meat through fungi and not animals.

Their startup leverages fermentation to subject common ingredients like potatoes to convert them into meat-like products in less than a day. Compared to cows that require 14 months to two years to be ready for slaughter, their microbial protein can be harvested within 24 hours. Rather than using plants, their secret ingredient is fungi, which has a much meatier texture and has been used as a meat replacement for centuries.

📱 Socials

Paul Shapiro’s LinkedIn

Paul Shapiro’s Instagram

Paul Shapiro’s Twitter

Clean Meat Book’s Website

The Better Meat Co.’s Website

The Better Meat Co.’s Instagram

Business For Good Podcast Website

Visit inventingthefuture.ai for the full show notes, which includes a full transcription of the conversation, a link to the YouTube Video interview, the top 3 value bombs, people & resources mentioned, and more!

This podcast is hosted by Julian Alvarez, the Co-Founder & CTO at Vize and a Software Engineer at Facebook.