The world looks to Japan for plant-based products.
Plant-based meats are gaining attention due to increasing concern around environmental issues and rising health consciousness, which is leading to an expanding global market. Among the players in the market, Next Meats is growing business at an exceptional speed. This is made possible by Japan’s unique art of product-making combined with a delicate sense of taste, and a passion to realize a sustainable society as quickly as possible. It all comes from our strong belief in the possibility of plant-based products, which makes us truly think this is the moment to make the revolution happen.
Next Meats went from conducting research and development of plant-based meats to being publicly listed on the U.S. stock exchange just seven months after our founding. We continue to grow business both in Japan and around the world at incredible speed. In order to pass down a better global environment to the next generation, we are venturing into the global market with a proposal of new food options.
Next Meats started with a question from our two founders, around wondering what they can do now to promote the well-being of our planet. They wanted to start a business with a focus on tackling environmental issues and mainly considered energy-related businesses, until they turned their attention to plant-based meats. According to the United Nations, 14.5%* of global CO2 emissions is said to come from livestock farming, which is roughly the same level as the transportation industry that includes emissions from airplanes and vehicles. In addition to methane that is released by livestock, large-scale factory farming that is dependent on deforestation to secure land and a large amount of water to grow feed for the livestock also places a tremendous burden on the environment. Ryo and Hideyuki wanted to explore ways to create a new option rather than continuing to increase demand for meat, and set out to conduct research and development of sustainable foods with plant proteins.