In this episode of "Balancing the Future" from METTLER TOLEDO, host Micah Schweizer interviews Illtud Dunsford, CEO and co-founder of CELLULAR AGRICULTURE Ltd, who shares his journey from traditional farming to pioneering cultivated meat technology. Illtud explains how their unique bioreactor mimics the human vascular system to deliver nutrients efficiently to animal cells, enabling the growth of real meat without raising animals. This innovative approach offers a smaller footprint, reduced costs, and better scalability compared to conventional bioreactors, with modular designs inspired by water treatment systems.
Illtud highlights the significance of cultivated meat in addressing global food security challenges and reducing environmental impact, emphasizing it as a complementary solution alongside traditional agriculture rather than a replacement. He shares how his farming background and value-added meat processing business helped him appreciate the technology's potential to optimize resource use by producing only the desired meat parts.
The conversation touches on societal acceptance, comparing it to the GMO food introduction, and the importance of transparency and cultural sensitivity in communicating the benefits of cultivated meat. Illtud also discusses collaboration with farming communities, how agriculture remains essential by supplying feedstocks for cell culture media, and opportunities for farmers to diversify through involvement in this emerging field.
Illtud notes that while some products with hybrid formulations are already on the market, full maturation of cells in culture can match traditional meat's nutritional profile. He points out Singapore as a leading regulatory environment for cultivated meat commercialization and sees a future where cultivated meat and plant cell cultivation grow side by side.
For those interested in entering this field, Illtud recommends academic pathways now available worldwide, with growing job opportunities in this fast-evolving industry. Looking ahead, he expects scalable technologies to be ready within a couple of years and large-scale production facilities supplying supermarkets within three to five years, marking a transformative era in sustainable food production.
Listen to the episode now on your favorite streaming platform: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music.
Farmer, founder, and CEO of Cellular Agriculture
Illtud has journeyed through the Agri-Food supply chain, and, as a Nuffield Farming Trust Scholar, he dedicated his studies to exploring the potential of alternative proteins, focusing on cultivated protein innovations. His commitment to innovation and sustainability shone through in his home farm diversification project, which was honored with the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Award for Best Food Producer in the UK.
