Isha Datar
Cellular Agriculture

So, what's the big idea?

Food insecurity is one of the greatest challenges of our time. If we are to feed the human population sustainably, affordably and nutritiously, we have to rethink the food supply chain. Isha Datar is doing just that, exploring cellular agriculture as a new facet of farming animal products. Isha’s work with New Harvest is at the intersection of ethical and practical issues, enabling broader cellular agriculture research with a menu of openly accessible cell cultures. These cell cultures are the research tools with which we can build foods of the future.

There are many more questions than answers about the viability and desirability of this approach. It speaks directly to both how we produce and apportion food, and what we fundamentally believe about food. Cellular agriculture is in its infancy and is only one path among many that could ensure food security. It will require long term investment and exploration to establish it as a viable alternative, or not, to current meat production processes. We believe Isha’s work will make a valuable contribution to opening up possibilities. Her open approach brings a level of accessibility and transparency to this work that has not been seen before.