The Bezos Earth Fund has announced an initial $60m investment to establish the Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein.

Announced by Bezos Earth Fund vice chair Lauren Sánchez, the investment forms part of the fund’s $1 billion commitment to food transformation.

Biomanufacturing and the production of sustainable protein products at scale – whether plant-based, fermented or cell-based – currently faces challenges resulting in high costs and limited quality.

Through establishing the new Centers for Sustainable Protein, the fund aims to target technological barriers to reducing cost, increasing quality and boosting nutritional benefits of alternative proteins by advancing science and technology. Innovation in cell biology and engineering is expected to bring numerous opportunities for enhancing the taste and texture of such products.

Commenting on the new investment, Sánchez said that the global food industry must pursue advancements in technologies to find solutions for our future, enabling us to “invent our way out of climate change”.

She commented: “We need to feed ten billion people with healthy, sustainable food throughout this century while protecting our planet. We can do it, and it will require a ton of innovation. Our world is poised for transformation, for a future not constrained by compromise. Solutions to our greatest challenges often come from the quiet persistence of those willing to question, reimagine, and innovate.”

Food production is the second largest cause of climate change, and agriculture is the primary driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss. The fund calls for a shift in the way we produce and consume food, given that by 2050, food consumption is expected to rise by 50% in line with population and income growth.

This latest announcement builds on the Bezos Earth Fund’s $1 billion commitment to supporting farmers and expanding food production sustainably. Work includes reducing methane from livestock and innovating in pasture management to help take pressure off forested land.

The Earth Fund is also working with inventors, researchers and entrepreneurs to improve the resilience and carbon absorption of major food crops.