Today's Edition
RABI HAMAMSAH (DUBAI)
Aquaculture represents one of the most important sectors expected to meet the increasing demand for food from a global population projected to reach 10.9 billion people by the end of the century.
Involving the rearing, breeding and harvesting of animals and plants that live in various water environments, aquaculture is the fastest growing food-producing sector and one that accounts for more than 52% of the world’s fish for consumption.
According to the UAE’s National Aquaculture Pulse report, fish is one source of protein the UAE focuses on, investing heavily in aquaculture projects and infrastructure. Aquaculture is considered as one of the most sustainable food production practices to provide seafood meeting global demand for fish.
With that in mind, one of the startups at COP28 – Avant Meats – focuses on pushing fast on producing fish protein using new technologies that allow large scale cultivation of animal cells, in their entirety, in an economically and environmentally sustainable way.
No pollutants but having the same nutritional value as ordinary meat. In an interview with Aletihad, Carrie Chan, Avant’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, said that COP28 is the ideal place to showcase her startup which saves marine life, promotes sustainability, and reduces carbon emissions in the oceans.
‘’I am looking forward to having cooperation with UAE’s public and private sectors, as we are the first company working on cultivated fish in Asia and with the UAE’s efforts in combating climate change impacts, promoting sustainability, and reaching net-zero emissions, we can have future projects,’’ she added.
Cultivating fish in a lab can be done in a fraction of the time it takes to produce fish normally, said Carrie. Most farmed fish take between a year to two years to grow, depending on the species, while wild fish take longer, she told Aletihad.
‘’To make the fillets, the company put cells from a grouper fish into a bioreactor and fed them glucose, minerals, amino acids, vitamins and proteins – much like making beer or yoghurt.
The cells then grow into muscle tissue – without heads, fins or organs. Cell culture technologies can cultivate a variety of animal proteins almost anywhere. This appeals to companies – for example in the UAE – looking for stable prices and predictable volume to help them overcome volatility in food supplies, as well as those wanting to source closer to consumers,’’ she noted.
Studies predict the ocean will have more plastics than fish by 2050, with levels of microplastics, heavy metals and contaminants increasingly tainting seafood. Concerns about animal rights can also help drive a switch to lab-grown meat. ‘
’The critical point is not only to educate the consumer on the how – meaning of the process and how safe it is – but also the ‘why’, which includes explaining why alternative proteins are important and ‘what are the benefits for you, for animal welfare, for the planet’,” Carrie Chan concluded.
