At the 2025 Tufts University Cellular Agriculture Innovation Day, David Kaplan and Bruce Friedrich, president of the Good Food Institute, discuss the evolving state of cellular agriculture. They reflect on a year of significant progress, highlighted by major funding initiatives like the Bezos Earth Fund and deepening government support globally. Professor Kaplan emphasizes the importance of a collaborative scientific ecosystem and mentions the upcoming first Gordon Research Conference dedicated to future foods in 2026.
The conversation addresses critical challenges such as the need for innovative scale up solutions beyond traditional pharmaceutical methods. David Kaplan calls for new paradigms in bioreactor design and the development of edible, sustainable scaffolding materials. The speakers also highlight a strategic shift toward consumer focused innovation, noting that products must be cost competitive and delicious to achieve widespread adoption.
Looking toward 2025 and 2026, both speakers remain optimistic about the field’s trajectory. Bruce Friedrich notes that cellular agriculture is beginning to follow the same growth curves seen in renewable energy and electric vehicles. They conclude by stressing the need for better communication with all stakeholders, including farmers and policymakers, to ensure the long term benefits of these technologies are clearly understood.