BIOTECH firm 3F Bio was set up in 2015 to make the traditional protein, or meat, farming industry more sustainable. With demand for protein increasing at 10 million tonnes per year, founders David Ritchie and Jim Laird felt something needed to change. Laird has worked in the food industry for more than 20 years and believes 3F Bio will have a big impact on the protein market.

Name: Jim Laird

Age: 49

Position: CEO

WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CALLED?

3F Bio

WHERE IS IT BASED?

Glasgow

WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?

THE business was set up because the co-founder David Ritchie has a passion for sustainability which is at the core of what we do. He was originally a chemical engineer but looked at the bigger picture of meat production.

The company was set up in 2015 but the idea began in 2014. We wanted to make global agriculture more efficient. There’s massive inefficiency in the way we make protein. Animals count for 20% of carbon emissions. Our purpose is to make the most sustainable protein.

It was an investment of love, passion and sweat. We worked lots of evenings and weekends. The Scottish Enterprise SMART award allowed us to do more lab activity. None of us were getting paid at that stage. We spent a long time talking about our idea. We were lucky to be supported by seed investment round in 2017 led by EOS and also supported by the Scottish Investment Bank and Strathclyde University. We have a bigger funding round this year and we are already producing at pilot scale in Belgium.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

MY background is in food. Biotechnology means just using biology to make things. We use small organisms to grow protein more efficiently. As animals get smaller they are more efficient at using protein, for example, a chicken uses less emissions than a cow. The westernisation of diet means the world is eating more meat. There has to be a better way of making it. We are not all vegetarians at 3F Bio but we are all motivated by sustainability. This is something consumers are absolutely more aware of. The demographic changes. I know the vegetarian market in 2005 was about 5-10% of people in most western countries. It is now at 15-20% and millennials have changed that. Younger generations are more aware of sustainability but have also been bombarded with the ugliness of intensive farming more than older generations have.

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?

PROTEIN is a big market. We are different because our focus is to be the most resource efficient product. The protein market is new and fashionable.

The market is so big we want everyone to be our customer. In terms of our technology, we have not found anything that makes protein in such an efficient manner. Other ways are not as sustainable, scalable and economical. I would partner with any company with the same aim.

WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?

PEOPLE who are interested in food. The goal is to be the most sustainable business that makes the most protein. The way that we as humans eat food is varied.

I think that real growth in protein demand is coming from Asia and Africa. They don’t need fake chicken, they just need healthy protein. I would say our five targets are the meat free consumer, people who are cutting down on meat, pet food (this is one third of the global emissions from food) and anywhere in the world where there is a protein deficiency.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?

I LOVE it because it has a purpose. I have been in the food industry all my life but this has high scale impact. It is a real privilege to work with a team that shares that passion and has the same motivation.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?

IN 10 years we will be fulfilling our promise to reduce the impact of meat consumption.

The worst thing would be if we were too restrictive. We have to be willing to collaborate for the business to work. The business was founded in Scotland and is supported by Scottish Enterprise because we run zero waste technology. We will keep our Scottishness when we break into the global market.