Weekly Roundup: Mosa Meat scales cultured beef, Kerry boosts food security in Kenya

21 Oct 2022 --- This week in industry news, Mosa Meat revealed its plan on scaling cultured beef to industrial production levels. Meanwhile, Kerry partnered with Concern Worldwide to support Kenyan farmers, and Oterra completed its acquisition of India-based Akay Group. Campden BRI launched an on-demand e-learning platform tailored to the F&B industry, while Bord Bia invested €1 million (US$981,150) in beef promotions.

In brief: Business moves
Mosa Meat has revealed a new industrial production development center is being developed close to Mosa Meat’s existing pilot facility in Maastricht, the Netherlands. After demonstrating the beef cultivation process at pilot scale, Mosa Meat is now ready for the next phase of expansion, housing industrial-size production lines and enabling larger production quantities of beef. Global meat consumption is projected to grow more than 40% by 2030, and Mosa Meat is part of a growing global movement to transform the way meat is produced. Beef has the highest carbon footprint, which is why the company is focusing on beef cultivation.

Kerry and Irish humanitarian organization Concern Worldwide have inked a four-year partnership to improve the lives of 46,000 Kenyans by providing access to climate-smart agricultural practices. They will collaborate to improve food security, boost household income and reduce malnutrition levels in the Tana River region by training farmers, providing access to climate-resilient seeds and opening new Kerry Group partners with Concern Worldwide to support Kenyan farmers.areas for agricultural production and irrigation. Many Tana River farmers rely on livestock farming, but climate change has led to water insecurity and pasture deterioration, causing death and declining livestock productivity. Participants will receive training on post-harvest handling, support for mango processing and the introduction of post-harvest processing machines. Mango production is more resilient to climate change’s impact and harnesses the Tana River’s resources, which are susceptible to flooding.

Campden BRI launched its on-demand e-learning platform, Campden Learning, which  combines industry knowledge and expertise using digital tools to deliver an interactive and engaging training experience. 

Urban Crop Solutions (UCS) is on track to set up a research center in southern Spain on indoor farming applications. In this research center, work will be done on the challenges of climate warming in southern European countries, as well as research into the optimization of nutrient-rich crops that, if possible, also contribute to good health. For UCS, this new research center is an addition to its existing research center in Belgium. The company will also advise on its activities relating to plant molecular farming.

In brief: Acquisitions and agreements
Oterra’s acquisition of India’s Akay Group was completed. Oterra announced its intention to purchase Akay in July 2022. This acquisition is the company’s fourth in under two years and its first within the Asia Pacific region. Akay has four manufacturing sites in southern India that Oterra will add to its existing production network, and 400 employees who will join the team. The acquisition further strengthens Oterra’s integration, mainly in turmeric and paprika. It also provides a substantial addition to the nutraceutical ingredients area. It will allow the company to offer its customers and market partners a complimentary portfolio of its existing natural food color solutions for dietary supplements. 

Arzeda, a protein design company, entered into a joint development agreement with AAK to accelerate the innovation of plant-based oils for the food industry through the application of novel enzymes. The collaboration will utilize Arzeda’s technology platform to optimize proteins to further enhance the sustainability profile of AAK’s plant-based edible oils. Arzeda’s technology platform can drive smarter innovation at scale by optimizing proteins – the building blocks of nature’s most advanced and biodegradable materials. Campden BRI launches Campden Learning, an on-demand e-learning platform tailored to the F&B industry.

Gulf Capital, a leading thematic Private Equity firm investing across the Middle East and Southeast Asia, announced the successful completion of its exit from CHO Group, a fully-integrated producer and global exporter of olive oil and the largest operator in North Africa. This investment reflects Gulf Capital’s strategy of increasing investments in food security and sustainability across the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

In brief: Other highlights
Bord Bia has invested €1 million (US$981,150) in beef marketing across key UK and EU markets to support the sector faced with increasingly difficult trading conditions. Bord Bia’s autumn promotional activities will spotlight Irish quality assured steak in the UK, Germany, Italy and Belgium; stewing cuts are the hero product in the Netherlands. 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that distressed borrowers with qualifying USDA farm loans have already received nearly US$800 million in assistance as part of the US$3.1 billion in aid for distressed farm loan borrowers provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA directed USDA to expedite assistance to distressed borrowers of direct or guaranteed loans administered by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), whose operations face financial risk. 

By Elizabeth Green