Bill Gates believes the wealthiest countries should switch to eating “100% synthetic beef” in order to help combat climate change.
Speaking to the MIT Technology Review magazine, he said that some governments would be constrained by their wealth: "I don't think the poorest 80 countries will be eating synthetic beef. I do think all rich countries should move to 100% synthetic beef.
"You can get used to the taste difference, and the claim is they're going to make it taste even better over time," added Mr Gates.
He noted one company, Memphis Meats, which actually makes synthetic meat at a cellular level to address this issue, but he said "I don't think that technique of manufacturing synthetic beef will ever be economical."
However, he added, companies such as Impossible and Beyond "have a road map, a quality road map and a cost road map, that makes them totally competitive".
While these companies represent less than 1% of the world's meat supply, "they're on their way", he added, saying he could actually see a path to addressing the issue.