Nearly every alternative meat on the market today is built on the same foundation: soy, wheat, or pea. Plants, plants, and more plants. But what if we’re looking in the wrong kingdom altogether? Paul Shapiro thinks the real breakthrough might be hiding beneath our feet. Fungi are evolutionarily closer to animals than plants—and that strange biological fact might unlock entirely new ways to recreate the taste, texture, and experience of meat. Less imitation. More transformation.

In this session, Paul takes you on a fast-moving tour of the fungal frontier. From mycelium steaks and fermentation-powered proteins to the surprising role fungi may play in cultivated meat production. What’s hype, what’s real, and what could scale?

One thing’s clear: the future of meat might not grow in fields. It might grow in the dark. 🍄

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