Lab-grown oils promise deforestation-free future for food, cosmetics

The Paris-based biotech startup SMEY is pioneering lab-grown coconut, palm, and shea oils using AI-driven yeast fermentation, aiming to provide deforestation-free, traceable alternatives for food and cosmetics industries. By leveraging a “Neobank of Yeasts” comprising over 1,000 non-GMO yeast strains and machine learning to identify strains with precise lipid profiles, SMEY dramatically reduces oil production time from the traditional 18–24 months to about 30 days. This approach replaces plantation agriculture with bioreactors, eliminating the need for land, pesticides, fertilizers, and associated environmental harms such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, and labor abuses. The technology also promises localized supply chains and new formulations with improved shelf life and stability. SMEY’s innovation aligns with the European Union’s upcoming Deforestation Regulation, which imposes strict penalties on imports linked to deforestation, motivating brands to seek sustainable oil alternatives. The company is initially marketing Noyl Silk, a cultivated high-oleic butter