C16 Biosciences

C16 uses microbiology to brew sustainable, conflict-free palm oil to reduce global CO2 emissions.

Palm oil is everywhere: it’s in our food, clothes, shampoo, and even the fuel that powers our cars. But this $61 billion industry has drastic environmental and societal costs: rainforests from Costa Rica to Indonesia are destroyed to make way for oil palm tree plantations, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destroying habitats for people and endangered wildlife along the way.

But palm oil doesn't have to be a problem. There remains an urgent need for consumers and companies alike to switch to environmentally conscious, sustainable palm oil products. C16 was founded with the objective of creating a sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to conflict palm oil. By offering producers, refiners, traders and consumers of palm oil an opportunity to invest part of their production into bio-based oils and sustainability efforts, our aim is to reduce the environmental footprint of palm oil production and protect precious natural land, wildlife, and resources in the process.

We've developed technology to brew a sustainable alternative to palm oil from microbes. Fermentation is a well-proven commercial process that has been used for centuries to convert raw materials into consumable commercial products consumed by billions of people every day. We believe that brewing palm oil like beer is the best and most likely path to developing a truly sustainable palm oil alternative.

Our palm oil is sustainable -- it doesn't involve deforestation, endangering precious animal species, or forcing inhumane labor practices. The result is a world where consumers can enjoy the products they love without worrying about the dangerous practices involved in making them.