Farmless is a company that aims to revolutionize the food industry by using a fermentation platform to produce sustainable protein. This protein is made using an e-methanol liquid feedstock composed of hydrogen, CO2, and renewable energy instead of sugar. According to Adnan Oner, Farmless’ founder and CEO, the fermentation platform could potentially be used to develop carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins ‘from the bottom up’.
Farmless’ main objective is to eliminate the significant waste associated with animal agriculture which is responsible for occupying most agricultural land and driving much of the world’s deforestation. According to the head of communications at Farmless, Pepijn Vloemans, animal agriculture is “extremely wasteful” and highly inefficient at providing nutrients. “Meat provides a minority of our calories and nutrients, but animal agriculture eats up about three-quarters of our agricultural land. The reason is that a) plants are not good at converting sunlight into biomass and b) most animals are not efficient in converting biomass into edible proteins.”
However, Farmless’ protein production method is a game-changer in the industry as it is sustainable and carbon-negative. Instead of using feeds that consume land, Farmless uses solar power to convert sunlight, CO2 and hydrogen into a liquid feedstock which microbes ferment into edible proteins. Farmless’ technology is ±500 times more efficient in terms of land use compared to beef.
Aside from taking up less land space than animal agriculture, Farmless’ method is also suitable for harsh weather conditions; a significant advantage in today’s world. This is because the protein can be grown in controlled environments of vessels anywhere in the world, and it does not depend on any agricultural feedstocks. Therefore, it has a consistent quality year-round, independent of the weather.
According to Adnan Oner, the protein itself is not only sustainable and carbon-negative but also has a strong nutritional profile; its functional properties and amino acid profile are comparable to eggs. In practical terms, the protein can be used in various products such as meat and dairy replacements, and it is intended for human consumption only.
Farmless has recently received a pre-seed capital worth €1.2m from the likes of Nucleus Capital, Revent, and Possible Ventures. Despite the challenges of securing seed and series A funding, Pepijn Vloemans, head of communications, is optimistic about the future of the company. “Although it is a challenging environment, in the long term, this will create capital-efficient businesses with better unit economics,” he says.
