Alt-dairy startup Perfect Day has unveiled a new advisory board – the Sustainability & Health Advisory Council (SHAC) – featuring Hollywood actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio. The company also released results revealing that its non-animal whey protein generates up to 97% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional dairy production following a life cycle assessment.
Leonardo Dicaprio has invested and works with multiple plant-based and eco-friendly brands, including his role as ambassador for alt-meat giant Beyond Meat as well as his funding of Califia Farms, collaborations with Jane Goodall, and investments in sustainable clothing and shoes such as Allbirds.
“A full-fledged response to climate change must bring innovation to all aspects of our daily lives—including to the foods we consume,” DiCaprio said in a statement.
Founded in 2014 by entrepreneurs Ryan Pandya and Perumal Gandhi, Perfect Day is essentially establishing a new food category – animal-free dairy – with its innovative technology that removes the cow from the production of dairy proteins and instead utilizes microbial fermentation. The animal-free fermented foods sector continues to grow with Perfect Day at the forefront, receiving 43% of the total VC funding in fermentation companies, and raising a total funding of $361.5 million according to a GFI report.
Besides DiCaprio, former UNICEF executive director and US agriculture secretary Ann Veneman comes on board, as well as Dariush Mozaffarian, Okezue Bell, Katharine Kreis, Danielle Nierenberg, Mary Shelman, and David Stukus. The members’ remit is to guide Perfect Day on matters of health, wellness and the environment, with the aim of helping the company maximise its impact-driven business model.
“A full-fledged response to climate change must bring innovation to all aspects of our daily lives—including to the foods we consume,” DiCaprio said in a statement. “Perfect Day’s forward-looking vision offers a new model for reducing the impact that our diets have on the planet. I’m pleased to be part of their advisory council and work together to support our shared urgent environmental mission.”
Perfect Day states, “Our Sustainability & Health Advisory Council (SHAC) is an independent board of subject matter experts, across agriculture, health, sustainability, and global nutrition who were convened to help Perfect Day maximize our vision of building a more equitable, resilient, and diverse food system for everyone.”
