20240830 Data Watch

A sharp drop in food-tech investments could hinder the development of alternative protein products.

Lab-grown food faltering on solving world hunger

Higher prices and taste issues lead to reduced investments in agritech startups

TOKYO -- The prospects for food technology solving world hunger have become more uncertain due to a sharp decline in investments in startups for cultivated meat and other alternative forms of protein.

Global investments in food and agricultural technology startups, including those promoting lab-grown meat, plant factories and biotechnology, totaled $4.2 billion in 2023, a 57% decrease from the peak year of 2021, according to the U.S. venture capital company AgFunder.

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