Aleph Farms partners with BBGI and Fermbox Bio to increase production capabilities in Southeast Asia

Hot on the heels of its regulatory approval in Israel for its beef product, a world first, Aleph Farms has announced a new partnership with BBGI, a manufacturer and distributor of bio-based products, and Fermbox Bio, a synthetic biology research and manufacturing company. Together, they are setting out to produce cultivated meat at Thailand’s first production plant for cellular agriculture applications.

Demand for animal-based proteins and fats is rising around the world and across Asia in particular. Hostile climate conditions and land shortages are threatening to make food sovereignty more elusive. For countries in Southeast Asia to achieve a stable long-term supply of high-quality animal-based nutrition for their populations, it is key to increase production capabilities for cultivated meat as a complement to sustainable conventional agricultural practices.

Aleph has a strategy to do just that, one that is asset-light and is based on a hub-and-spoke model centered in Southeast Asia and other key markets. Collaboration with value chain partners is a pivotal element of this strategy, vital for maximizing impact and achieving company goals. This new partnership with BBGI and Fermbox, both of which bring extensive experience in large-scale biomanufacturing design and operation, focuses on production enhancement, including elements devoted to cost optimization and operational scale-up.

“A prudent, capital-efficient scale-up lets us navigate infrastructure investments thoughtfully, enabling sustainable penetration into key regions,” commented Didier Toubia, CEO & Co-Founder of Aleph Farms. “This strategy aligns with our commitment to scaling up responsibly, avoiding abrupt, extensive CAPEX investments in the process. Ultimately, this progression aligns with our overarching goal: ensuring food security through an equitable and inclusive transition to sustainable, resilient food systems.”

“We are pleased to partner with Aleph Farms and Fermbox Bio as we share our mutual goal of bringing sustainability and food security to the world," added Kittiphong Limsuwannarot, CEO of BBGI. "BBGI has the ability to contribute its manufacturing and operational excellence by using large-scale biomanufacturing to drive the next step of food production. This agreement aims to support the sustainable development of Thailand and the region in every aspect, focusing on the new S-Curve, with expected governmental support.”

“The strategic partnership with BBGI and Aleph Farms seamlessly aligns with our core business mission of propelling biotechnological innovations – strengthening global sustainability and contributing to the future of human existence," said Subramani Ramachandrappa, Founder of Fermbox. "Drawing upon our extensive experience in designing and operating large-scale biomanufacturing facilities, we are well-positioned to operationalize the shared objectives of this collaboration. We are excited to be part of this partnership – bringing together people and companies from across the world with complementary strengths to build the first-of-its-kind large-scale cultivated meat facility in Thailand.”

“I am sure that the collaboration between Israel’s young, innovative food-tech ecosystem and Thailand’s mature food industry, i.e. 'The Kitchen of the World', will lead to fruitful results for both countries," stated H.E. Orna Sagiv, Ambassador of Israel to Thailand. "At the Embassy of Israel to Thailand, we promote partnerships, and it is my belief that the successful partnership between Israel Aleph Farms and Thai BBGI and Fermbox will have a tremendous effect, not only on the future of both of our food industries, but also on the future of Israel-Thailand relations. I am also optimistic about the regulatory framework talks between Aleph Farms and Thai FDA, which started during the FoodTech event we held in Bangkok last year. I hope the dialogue will continue to be fruitful and will allow for the expansion of Aleph Farms’ operations in Thailand and beyond.”