Christoph Jenny is one of the four founders of the start-up Planted. Planted aims to create an alternative to animal meat. One of his motivations was to commit to the protection of animals and stop global climate change. Planted is now the fastest growing start-up in the field of alternative proteins in Europe.
He holds a Master’s degree in finance from the University of Zurich and started his career in asset management at Credit Suisse. He then joined KPMG and the Deal Advisory team. Before founding Planted, Christoph worked for Jacobs Holding.
Planted has been very successful in such a short time, where did you get the idea to create Planted?
At Planted, we produce meat from alternative proteins, with an emphasis on high-quality texture and flavor.
Consuming more and more alternative proteins instead of animal meat can not only reduce the negative impact of the traditional meat industry on our planet, but it will also benefit our own health.
How is it possible to reinvent the approach to meat on a global scale?
That’s the question we’ve been asking ourselves, and dozens of others. Increasing population and life expectancy, as well as rising incomes, are the main reasons for the growing demand for meat around the world. However, the current scale of the meat industry is more than unsustainable. At Planted, we want to change that. As an ETH spin-off in 2019, we want nothing less than a revolution in the food industry.
Many of us enjoy the taste of meat, but no longer at any price. Awareness of the need to protect our environment and animals is growing rapidly. And with it, the demand for alternatives to animal proteins.
Today, meat substitutes are subject to two main criticisms: Firstly, they often contain more additives and chemical ingredients than the meat itself, and secondly, vegan substitutes are often not sustainable. What is Planted’s position on these issues?
Planted stands for :
- 100% taste
- 100% sustainable
- 100% natural ingredients
- 100% free of animal suffering (vegan)
We are committed to using only 100% natural ingredients and no additives in our products. This is how they become a healthy alternative for everyone.
Our planted.™chicken, for example, contains only four ingredients: Water, peas, rapeseed oil, and a healthy dose of vitamin B12.
We recently conducted a thorough analysis of our sustainability efforts. Our planted.™chicken, for example, saves 74% CO2, 46% less water than chicken meat, and save countless animals – In this regard, we can say that we have saved over half a million animals from slaughter.
To calculate the carbon footprint, we evaluated the entire life cycle of our products and their animal counterparts. The name of the method already says it all: Eaternity considered our products from cradle to grave. From the cultivation and harvesting of the ingredients to the disposal of the packaging, processing, and transportation, energy consumption in our production plant, storage, and transportation to the stores – everything was taken into account.
If you want to know what impact your personal food consumption has, you can find our calculator here: Better than chicken: planted.™chicken.
We are committed to using only 100% natural ingredients and no additives in our products. This is how they become a healthy alternative for everyone.
In just a few years, you’ve grown from a Swiss start-up to an Europe-wide presence. What has allowed the company to grow so quickly?
The more consumers we reach, the more we can change minds and have an impact.
Planted is now available in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy and recently in the UK, in restaurants, retail stores and in our own online store. The Planted products are made up of different protein sources (peas, oats, sunflower). The current range currently includes: planted.™ chicken, planted.™ pulled, planted.™ kebab and planted.™ schnitzel. In addition, there are various limited editions in close collaboration with renowned chefs such as Tim Raue or Nenad Mlinarevic.
Our success is due above all to a strong and passionate team, as well as to consumers who trust us.
What role did investments play in the creation of Planted?
Of course, a very important role, because without our investors, we would not have had the money to increase our production tool and to improve our scientific research.
If you were to create a new company today, what would you do differently when Planted was started?
Without a doubt, a lot of things, but in the end, it is important to learn from your mistakes and to constantly improve.
The big question today is what will food look like in 50 years? What can you tell us in this regard?
We are in the middle of an exciting and very rapid development process. Vegan or even vegetarian food has long been more than just a trend. For example, about one in eight people in Germany now buy alternatives to meat. Moreover, meat-free eating is now present in all age groups, with the under 30s being the most likely to declare a vegan or vegetarian diet. And this fact will in turn influence the diet of future generations.
I am convinced that in the future, bio-structured proteins will beat animal meat in terms of taste, sustainability, health, efficiency, and price.
Thank you very much!
