Fonterra has invested in a company called Motif Ingredients who develop and commercialise bio-engineered animal and food ingredients. Judith Swales, head of Fonterra’s Global Consumer and Foodservice business, said that the move is a part of the co-operative’s commitment to its farmer-owners to stay at the forefront of innovation to understand and meet the changing preferences of consumers. Fonterra joins other investors such as Ginkgo Bioworks, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Louis Dreyfus Companies and Viking Global Investors.
“Dairy nutrition will always be at our core, but we also want to explore how we can capture more value from new types of nutrition. The complementary nutrition category—where plant, insect, algae and fermentation-produced nutrition co-exist alongside animal proteins, including cows’ milk—is fast evolving. It’s not a case of either/or, but both,” said Judith.
“Consumers around the world will continue to want natural, grass-fed dairy as a premium source of nutrition. At the same time, we recognise that no two customers are the same. As diets and preferences continue to evolve, we want to be there, providing people with choices.”
“Our stake in Motif will help us be part of this emerging next-generation fermentation-produced nutrition sector.”
