Following a $30 million award from the Bezos Earth Fund, North Carolina State University has established the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein.  The Center will coordinate research and commercialization of plant-based and cell-cultured protein by uniting academia, industry and policy makers. Funding will be applied to develop advanced food technology, support startups and prepare a workforce through university and community college partnerships.

Believer Meats is establishing a cell-culture production plant in Wilson, NC. The Company will collaborate with the Center.

Bill Aimutis, Co-Director of the new Center, noted, “This is a significant opportunity for North Carolina to not only be a state with a thriving animal-foods sector, but also one where it is a powerhouse in complementary proteins.”  He added, “With the Center, we are looking to develop solutions that will provide greater diversity of choices for consumers that are both tasty and sustainable.”

Andy Jarvis, Director of the Future of Food, at the Bezos Serve Fund, stated, “Innovation alone cannot solve our global nutrition needs in the future.  We need to ensure that innovation reaches the market.”