As billions of people worldwide continue to choose meat for its taste and quality, global demand for it is increasing at an unprecedented rate – a rate that sustainably farmed meat simply cannot keep up with. Could eating cultured meat be the (selfish) way to sustainability meet the challenge? From sustainable tech to venture capitalism, this session brings together a range of diverse perspectives to explore the intersections of food, technology and innovation. George Peppou (Co-Founder, Vow), and Samantha Wong (Partner, Blackbird) will discuss the future of cultured meat, how sustainability can in fact be selfish, and the crucial role of disruptive thinking in driving success. Join us for an informative and thought-provoking conversation hosted by award-winning journalist Yolanda Redrup (Senior Journalist, Australian Financial Review).

As the world’s population heads towards 10 billion by around 2050, the need to produce more protein with finite natural resources is intensifying. Even the Australian domestic consumer market for these products is forecast to be worth over $3 billion a year by 2030. NSW’s scientific skills in the corporate world, in academia and government, put us at the forefront of innovative synthetic food and plant-based meat alternative production. Many of our businesses are leading the world in new food production technologies. Meet the Meat Makers is your opportunity to meet some of these world-leading innovative businesses and the experts in developing the new technologies. The panellists will discuss the opportunities and challenges that are presented by the increasing demand, while at the same time managing technological development, sourcing and enhancing a skilled workforce and the impacts on environmental and business sustainability.

Announced in November 2022, a new research centre, led by the University of Adelaide, will focus international expertise on finding ways to provide the next generation of space explorers with nutritious foods, and the on-demand supply of materials and medicines. The mission of P4S is to re-imagine plant design and bioresource production, through the lens of space, to enable off-Earth habitation and provide transformative solutions to improve on-Earth sustainability. P4S is a major global collaborative transdisciplinary venture partnering 15 academic institutions, five space agencies and enablers, five Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) companies, six education providers, and seven government and technology partners that collectively harness a global fit-for-purpose critical mass not found elsewhere.