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In a recent
interview with Food Frontier, philanthropist and PBN Co-owner Khaled Bin
Alwaleed said animal activism is the reason he wakes up in the morning.
Activist
and environmentalist
After an
introduction from Food Frontier CEO Thomas King, the Saudi prince steered the
emphasis away from his title – and toward the things he most values in life.
He said
that he is an environmentalist and animal activist first, and added: “Obviously,
to you and to anyone, I’m Khaled.”
The future
of food
King and
Khaled delved into the possibilities for humane and sustainable food systems,
arriving on the topic of lab-grown meat as a viable alternative to mass
slaughter, for those who are reluctant to give up meat entirely.
Khaled
listed JUST, Beyond Meat, and Memphis Meats as major players in the meat
alternative sector, destined to ‘change the path of our future’.
He added: “The light is bright for animals going forward.”
Financial perspective
Khaled maintained also that, even if ethics were entirely
set aside, he believes that ‘clean’ meat and plant-based proteins are the best
way to go from a strictly ‘financial perspective’.
He said that this is the reason why companies like Tyson
Foods, and Pinnacle Foods have invested in plant-based protein and lab-grown
meat.
Hurdles
Khaled anticipates that the greatest hurdles to overcome in
the meat alternative industry, however, will be marketing and ‘changing people’s
perception’.
He said he believes the key to overcoming this will be emphasizing
the advantages of lab-grown meat from a health perspective, including the absence
of antibiotics and outside contaminants.
