Vegan cheese brand Miyoko’s Creamery just announced American television host Ellen DeGeneres and actor Portia de Rossi as investors.

Miyoko Schinner — a vegan chef and activist — founded Miyoko’s to remove animals from dairy production. According to the company, its plant-based range creates 98 percent less greenhouse gas than traditional dairy products.

Miyoko’s uses organic and whole foods like nuts and legumes with no additives and no GMO or artificial ingredients. The brand makes its cheese by combining traditional techniques and creamery cultures with modern technology.

Investors DeGeneres and her wife de Rossi are vocal about animal welfare, the environment, and other social justice issues. The couple are philanthropists and together run “The Ellen Fund” – a conservation group that protects endangered mountain gorillas.

“Being kind to one another is not just about people, it extends to animals as well,” said DeGeneres in a press release. “Portia and I have been customers of Miyoko’s Creamery for several years now and their cheeses and vegan butter have become staples in our home.”

“We are particularly impressed about their holistic perspective to the challenge of moving our society away from animal agriculture,” added de Rossi. “They understand the big picture,” she added. “Farmers are part of the solution and require our support to transition away from current practices.”

“As we learned more about the mission behind the products and about Miyoko herself, we knew this was a special and exciting company that we wanted to support,” said DeGeneres.

Ditching Dairy

Many consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the health, environmental, and ethical consequences of eating meat and dairy products. Many people are turning to flexitarian diets and regularly purchasing, cooking with, and eating plant-based foods.

Dairy sales are currently declining, FarmingUK reported that dairy farmers’ profits dropped by 50 percent in 2018/2019.

C40 Cities published research earlier this year revealing food as one of the largest sources of consumption-based emissions. The agriculture sector is the largest producer of non-CO2 greenhouse gas worldwide, a huge contribution to climate change.

According to a study conducted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), a global shift away from animal products and towards plant-based alternatives could reduce agriculture emissions by up to 50 percent by 2050.