PLANT CEO #15 - Honey, created without bees
In this episode we speak with Darko Mandich CEO of MeliBio, an exciting new startup which is on a mission to recreate honey from plants using biotech. Darko mentions in the interview that 2bn people consumer honey everyday. Bees are wonderfully adapted to pollinate, helping plants grow, breed and produce food. They do so by transferring pollen between flowering plants and to keep the cycle of life turning. But bees are in trouble as they are declining more than ever before. This decline is caused by a combination of stresses:
\n1. loss of their habitat i.e. urbanisation and trees being cut down
\n2. usage of pesticides
\n3. the effects of climate change.
\n4. large-scale beekeeping can actually harm or even worst kill bees.
\nTherefore, a growing number of vegans are avoiding honey as it's exploiting the hard work of bees and then by harvesting their energy source is seen as immoral. MeliBio is planning to use their plant-based honey to sell into the B2B market for cosmetics and the food and beverage industries. With the aim of making it more affordable, ethically produced, environmentally friendly, and matching or exceeding the nutrient value of bee-made honey.
\n\nAbout PLANT CEO
\nMore people are choosing to follow plant-based diets. Exciting new startups are disrupting this space by creating innovation in food, direct to consumer food delivery services, clothing, health care products and restaurants. We will be interviewing plant-based CEO\u2019s and established leaders in their own fields. Hear what drives these entrepreneurs, why they became vegan and learn more about their companies.
\n