World's First Cultivated Meat Farm Opens in the Netherlands, Pioneering Decentralized Production

Historic Launch in Zuid-Holland

In a landmark development for the future of food production, RespectFarms has officially launched the world's first pilot cultivated meat farm in Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. The facility, situated on the existing dairy farm of Corné van Leeuwen, represents a pioneering effort to integrate cellular agriculture directly into traditional farming operations. The announcement was made on November 22, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the global protein transition.

This initiative is designed to demonstrate how livestock farmers can incorporate cultivated meat production units into their existing setups, offering a model that aims to keep farmers at the center of food production rather than replacing them with large, centralized factories.

Backed by European and Provincial Funding

The project has garnered substantial public support, receiving funding from both the European Union and the provincial government of Zuid-Holland. Farmer Corné van Leeuwen is notably the first farmer globally to receive agricultural funding for cultivated meat production through the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri).

Further financial backing comes from the CRAFT (Cellular Revolution in Agriculture and Farming Technology) Consortium, which was awarded the first €2 million of a €4 million grant request, co-funded by the EU-backed accelerator, EIT Food. This funding underscores a commitment to fostering innovation in agritech and biotech, supporting the Netherlands' role in the protein transition and creating new economic opportunities.

A Collaborative and Sustainable Model

RespectFarms operates as a system integrator, bringing together expertise from various partners within the CRAFT Consortium. These partners include:

• Wageningen University & Research (scientific leadership and R&D)
• Cultivated meat firms Mosa Meat and Aleph Farms (expertise in cultivated beef products and regulatory strategy)
• Multus (developer of scalable cell culture media)
• Sustainable agriculture company Kipster
• Facility design specialist Royal Kuijpers

This collaborative 'scale-out' model aims to decentralize cultivated meat production, introducing advanced agritech to farms to support innovation, income diversification, and locally rooted food production. Proponents suggest this approach can significantly reduce environmental impact, with estimates indicating a 78% reduction in water consumption, 95% less land use, and 56% lower societal costs compared to conventional meat production.

Engaging the Public and Shaping the Future

To foster public engagement and transparency, an experience center is slated to open at van Leeuwen's farm in Spring 2026. This center will welcome farmers, stakeholders, policymakers, local communities, and educators to witness cultivated meat production firsthand. Ira van Eelen, co-founder of RespectFarms and Cellular Agriculture Netherlands, emphasized the importance of this approach, stating, 'We're building a model where livestock farmers remain at the centre of food production, not replaced by factories.'