Cecilia Aguiar-Curry — Cited as a colleague who supported the $5 million investment in University of California research and development efforts for alternative proteins.
Shana Fertig — Introduced as a panelist, Senior Advisor to the President of the Good Food Institute.
Zane Swanson — Introduced as a panelist, Deputy Director and Fellow of the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Zane Swanson — Zane Swanson is introduced as the next virtual presenter and begins speaking. He identifies himself as the deputy director and fellow with CSIS’s Global Food and Water Security Program and frames his remarks around alternative protein production and security.
Ms. Fertig — Invited to begin testimony.
Ms. Fertig — Ms. Fertig responded to questions about how the committee should frame alternative proteins, explaining that they should be viewed as complementary to traditional farming. She noted that meat demand is expected to rise by at least 50% by 2050 and said alternative proteins can help meet that demand while also creating opportunities for California farmers to transition to or add new crops, thereby boosting farm incomes.
Ash Kalra — Thanked for organizing the hearing.
Ash Kalra — The chair is addressed as 'Chairman Kalra' in the introduction to Zane's remarks.
Shayna Furtig — Introduces herself as Senior Advisor to the President at the Good Food Institute and begins her presentation.
Shayna Fertig — Shayna Fertig presents a continuous case for alternative proteins as a practical and scalable way to reduce the environmental impacts of meat consumption. She explains that alternative proteins include plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived products designed to match conventional meat on taste and price while offering a more sustainable path than simply asking people to eat less meat. She then outlines the climate and resource benefits: plant-based and cultivated meat can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use; alternative proteins can eliminate methane from enteric fermentation; and they can help reduce habitat loss, protect biodiversity, and lessen water contamination associated with animal agriculture. Fertig concludes by arguing that California is well positioned to lead in this sector because of its agricultural base, research institutions, and existing industry presence, and that sustained public investment is needed for the industry to scale.
Dr. Swanson — Described his program at a nonprofit think tank focused on domestic and global food and water security, and introduced his remarks on alternative proteins and security.
Dr. Swanson — Dr. Swanson argued that while alternative proteins are not a cure-all for global hunger, investment in their research and development can help build a more resilient food system, improve nutrition access, and strengthen U.S. strategic competitiveness. In response to questions, he shifted to antimicrobial resistance as a major pharmaceutical and pandemic-preparedness concern, explaining that intensifying animal agriculture increases exposure to novel pathogens and often drives greater antibiotic use. He noted that misuse and overuse of antibiotics can contribute to microbial resistance and ecosystem impacts, and that antibiotics are sometimes used to promote growth in ruminants. The exchange concluded with thanks before the committee moved on.
Dr. Swanson — The speaker says they discussed the issue with Dr. Swanson, specifically in the context of commercial fisheries.
Ms. Fertigna — Referenced as another presenter who discussed pharmaceuticals in the context of food systems and disease risk.
Luz Rivas — Luz Rivas discussed the need to help small family farms transition from dairy and meat production to plant-based crops. She cited land-use statistics to underscore the issue, referenced having introduced legislation aimed at supporting that transition, and explained that the state should help farmers identify crops that work for them, noting that many plant-based crops such as alfalfa and soy are also used to feed livestock.
Ethan Brown — Ethan Brown, founder, CEO, and president of Beyond Meat, introduced the company and described its plant-based meat model. He explained that Beyond Meat has faced backlash and misinformation from incumbent meat and pharmaceutical interests, which he says helped shape negative public perceptions of plant-based meat. Brown then highlighted research and clinical evidence suggesting health benefits from plant-based meat, including studies showing improvements such as lower LDL cholesterol, lower TMAO levels, and weight loss, and described Beyond Meat’s continued innovation through its Beyond Four platform and related nutrition-focused products. He also shifted to climate arguments, saying plant-based food production can reduce emissions, land use, water use, and methane, and cited life-cycle analysis showing major environmental advantages for the Beyond Burger. Brown concluded by urging policy changes: repurposing agricultural subsidies to reward ecosystem restoration and carbon sequestration, improving labeling to give consumers better information, ending subsidies and bailouts that favor factory farming, and supporting healthier food choices in public institutions.
Myra Passick — Identified as General Counsel for Upside Foods and part of the panel.
Myra Passick — Myra Passick, General Counsel of Upside Foods, introduced her background and the company, then used her testimony to demystify cultivated meat and explain that it is a scalable food-production technology rather than a science experiment. She described Upside’s founding and growth, its investors, the Epic facility in Emeryville, and the company’s California jobs and production capacity. She emphasized that scaling is essential for climate and business impact, noted plans for a much larger facility in Illinois, and asked for state support such as grants, low-interest loans, and participation in cap-and-trade to help monetize environmental benefits. She then explained the cultivated meat process in simple terms, comparing it to how an animal grows, describing cells being fed oxygen and nutrients in a cultivator, and stressing that the process is clean, does not rely on pharmaceuticals, and avoids pathogens like E. coli and viral contamination. She concluded by noting demand for cultivated meat, referencing regulatory approval for a product, and saying Upside is seeking approval for a more scalable second cell line. The exchange ends with the next speaker thanking her for the presentation and for helping demystify cultivated meat.
R.E.A. Alfenbine / Arye (questionable) — Identified as co-founder of Wild Type; spelling is uncertain in the transcript.
Wild Type — Company associated with the third panelist, described as a co-founder affiliation.
Unnamed witness / presenter — Said he moved to California about 10 years ago after finishing cardiology training and wanted to talk about scale.
Wildtype presenter — The Wildtype presenter introduced Wildtype as a company making cultivated seafood using the same technologies previously described, but applied to fish. The presenter then explained why cultivated seafood is especially relevant in California and noted that the next slide would outline key production challenges.
Myra — Myra is referenced as part of a continuing discussion about the technologies being used, the challenges companies face as they scale and may not stay local, and the broader goal of demystifying the process.
AB30 — Referenced as the original bill authored to protect 30% of land and water by 2030.
Ms. Fertick — Mentioned as having discussed the 30 by 30 conservation goal earlier.
Ms. Passick — Speaker addresses Ms. Passick in the context of scaling.
Wildtype — Speaker says they tried Wildtype seafood and found it phenomenal.
Dr. Swanston — Referenced as part of a discussion about food security and bringing production back home.
Dr. Elphin Biden — Referenced as part of a discussion about food security and bringing production back home; name may be uncertain.
Dr. Amy Roatt — Introduced as a professor/researcher from UCLA on the final panel.
Dr. Galena Hale — Dr. Galena Hale is introduced on the final panel as a professor of economics at UC Santa Cruz.
Dr. Galena Hale — Dr. Galena Hale introduced herself as a UC Santa Cruz economist, incoming director of the Institute of Social Transformation, and co-founder/chief research officer at Food System Innovations. She then testified that alternative proteins are essential to meeting global climate and nutrition goals, and argued that California should continue supporting the industry to preserve its leadership while helping farmers build climate resilience.
Lisa Calderon — The speaker appears to thank and address Assembly Member Calderon; transcript says 'Calver,' which is likely Calderon.
Professor Amy Rowan — Introduced herself as a UCLA professor and described her roles in food studies and the alternative meat/protein center.
Dr. Amy Roatt / Amy Rowan (questionable transcription) — Dr. Amy Roatt/Amy Rowan described UCLA’s future foods and alternative proteins research program, beginning with cultivated fat tissue and boba pearl work aimed at improving flavor, nutrition, and scalability. She explained efforts to speed up and reduce the cost of growing animal cells, adjust bead size and texture, and identify methods that help fat cells accumulate more fat. She then emphasized that the research is still small-scale but state funding has enabled new equipment to expand testing and help translate discoveries from academia to industry. She also noted a major effort to create publicly available molecular datasets and maps of cultivated-meat cells to better understand pathways that can improve nutrition and flavor. Beyond the science, she highlighted the Future Food Fellows program, which was built with industry input and supports graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates, along with career development and science communication training. She concluded by stressing UCLA’s national and global leadership in future foods, including talks in many countries, media attention, and the launch of the first Gordon Research Conference on future foods, and later responded that student enthusiasm for the field is very strong, with students forming their own alternative protein chapter and organizing networking and fundraising events.
Erica Salazar — Thanked for organizing the hearing and for helping lead the alternative protein working group over the last few years.