In a move that’s causing outrage and disbelief, billionaire Bill Gates is backing a revolutionary and highly controversial synthetic butter produced entirely in a lab, without cows, farms, or traditional agriculture.
The product, from startup Savor, is made by synthesising fat molecules from carbon dioxide (captured from the air) and hydrogen (from water) through a thermochemical process. Gates claims this imitation is not only indistinguishable from real butter but also vastly superior for the environment, potentially cutting emissions and resource use tied to dairy production. Yet many are shocked: how can a chemical concoction brewed in industrial vats be “better” than butter from grass-fed cows on natural pastures? Critics, including farmers and everyday consumers, see it as the latest step in a broader agenda to disrupt traditional farming.
What is Savor’s lab-made butter?
Savour’s butter is created using a patented process that combines CO₂ and hydrogen and heats and oxidises them, resulting in fat molecules “identical”, they claim, to those in dairy butter. No animals, plants, farmland, fertilisers, or palm oil involved. The final product includes water, a natural emulsifier like lecithin, and minimal flavourings or colourings.
So, where are we at now?
- It’s already in use: partnerships with high-end restaurants and bakeries; chocolates featuring it launched for the 2025 holidays.
- Retail timeline: Broader supermarket availability is targeted for around 2027.
Official details from Savour via Breakthrough Energy (Gates’ investment arm).
Gates’ outlandish environmental claims
Bill Gates has personally endorsed the product, stating on his blog, “I’ve tasted Savour’s products, and I couldn’t believe I wasn’t eating real butter.” “The idea of switching to lab-made fats and oils may seem strange at first, but their potential to significantly reduce our carbon footprint is immense.”
He argues the process “doesn’t release any greenhouse gases” and uses no farmland, a drastic improvement over dairy, which he links to high emissions from cows and feed production. Full post: GatesNotes – Greasy—and good for the planet. Savour also claims this, saying their fats could eliminate impacts from animal/plant-based oils, which contribute ~7 per cent of global emissions.
Backlash from social media users: “Disgusting” and “Dystopian”
Public reaction on X has been fierce, with users expressing horror at the idea of synthetic fats replacing natural ones:
- @SBakerMD (Dr Shawn Baker): Reminders of elites pushing “peasant food” while keeping real products for themselves.
- @ShadowofEzra and others: Calls it “Franken-butter” and ties it to broader food control concerns.
Many refuse to try it, labelling it “poison” or “slop”, with thousands vowing to stick to real dairy.
Farming community fights back
Dairy farmers and associations view this as an existential threat. The American Butter Association has lobbied the FDA against misleading labels on alternatives, insisting “butter” must come from cow’s milk per federal standards since 1906.
Farmers argue well-managed grazing systems recycle nutrients naturally via manure, support biodiversity, and sequester carbon in soil – benefits lab production can’t replicate. They fear synthetic alternatives, backed by billionaire investors, could undercut livelihoods and centralise food production.
Critics highlight potential economic devastation for rural communities reliant on dairy.
While Savour positions its product as a climate solution, the shock remains: A lab-engineered spread, funded by one of the world’s richest men, poised to challenge – and potentially displace – one of nature’s most beloved foods. Will consumers embrace Gates’ vision or reject it outright?
