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Guest Posts

Department of Defense Invests Heavily in Food Innovation: Why?

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, an advisor to a food innovation ET, and a consultant to C-Suite of multinational companies. She speaks internationally on the intersection of investing, sustainability, and food systems transformation and is also the host of the podcast, Upside & Impact: Investing for Change. In this article, which originally ran on Advisorpedia.com, Elysabeth Alfano explores the US Department of Defense’s significant investment in food innovation through the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). She examines how food security, supply chain resilience, environmental impact, and public health concerns drive this initiative, positioning food system transformation as both a national security priority and a major investment opportunity. Department of Defense Invests Heavily in Food Innovation: Why? The US Department of Defense is investing heavily …

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plantbased business hour
Plantbased Business Hour

What is the State of the American Farmer? Deputy Under Secretary of the USDA, Sanah Baig, Explains

What is the state of the American Farmer? Is food insecurity in the U.S. on the rise? What initiatives are upcoming to address feeding more people with fewer resources? What does the USDA science data tell us? Deputy Under Secretary of the USDA, Sanah Baig, joins CEO of VegTech Invest and host Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour for the big knowledge drop just months before the Farm Bill drop. Specifically, they discuss: As we turn the corner into 2025, what is the USDA working on, given the need to feed a growing global population with fewer resources? How is the USDA prioritizing food systems transformation and the plight of the American farmer? What level of money is being spent on the future of agriculture, and what kind of …

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plant-based business hour
Plantbased Business Hour

Is 2025 the Year for Financing Food Fast? Ambassador Ertharin Cousin Weighs In

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and Executive Director of The Food Systems for the Future, Ertharin Cousin, joins CEO of VegTech Invest, Elysabeth Alfano, on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss the pivotal year of 2025 for food and other systems shifts. Specifically, they discuss: What is the Food Systems for the Future Institute? Given your long tenure as the Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture and as Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme, how have you seen the landscape around global nutrition and food insecurity change? At COP28, the World Bank declared that Food Tech is Climate Tech. There is a growing understanding of the overlap of food systems and energy use, and food’s impact on …

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Plantbased Business Hour

What Is Stakeholder Engagement and is it Important for Food Systems Shift?

Chief Investment Officer of VegTech Invest, Dr. Sasha Goodman, discusses the firm’s recent white paper, in conjunction with Harvard University students, on Stakeholder Engagement for Plant-based Innovation & Diversified Proteins. Along with host of The Plantbased Business Hour, Elysabeth Alfano, the two discuss the top 5 findings of the white paper and the impact on the diversified proteins sector. Specifically, they discussed What is the new white paper between VegTech™ Invest and Harvard’s Great Food Systems Transformation Course students? What prompted the White Paper on Best Practices for Stakeholder Engagement for Plant-based Innovation and Protein Diversification? Why is Stakeholder Engagement in Plant-based Innovation and Protein Diversification important? Of the 6 case studies in the paper, is there one that particularly stands out for you? What …

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Elysabeth Alfano impact investing

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Investments & Finance

Impact Investment Strategies Unveiled in New GenConnectU Course by VegTech Invest’s Elysabeth Alfano

GenConnectU has recently introduced an on-demand educational offering, “Impact Investing with Plant-based Innovation,” targeted at those interested in sustainable investment practices. The course is led by Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest, who brings substantial expertise in the plant-based investment sphere. The course curriculum is designed to educate enrollees on how to integrate ethical considerations into their investment choices, specifically focusing on the plant-based innovation sector. It aims to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate public markets with a sustainability-focused approach. Elysabeth Alfano’s professional background includes a start at The Kellogg Company and various executive roles before transitioning to a focus on sustainability investing and consulting. She has shared her insights on global stages, such as the United Nations and Yale …

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Investments & Finance

VegTech Invest Engages Companies to Diversify Protein in Public Call to Action

VegTech™ Invest announces its Protein Diversification and Disclosures stakeholder engagement. VegTech™ Invest invests in companies utilizing plant-based Innovation (plant-based foods, cultivated meat, fermented proteins and the supply chains that support them) through their publicly traded ETF. The open-to-the public Protein Diversification and Disclosures initiative encourages companies, including those with emerging plant-based offerings, to advance and grow their plant-centric portfolio of products, enhancing biodiversity and financial resilience.  It also advocates for enhanced transparency from all companies, including those already fully dedicated to plant-based products, to make protein diversification disclosures in line with the FAIRR and GFI framework.  This will communicate to a wider audience the sustainable impact of plant-based Innovation proteins. Protein Diversification for Biodiversity and Financial Resilience By focusing on a diverse group of companies, …

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Investments & Finance

2024 Predictions: Investing in Food System Transformation is Here

Here, Elysabeth Alfano and Dr. Sasha Goodman of VegTech Invest give their predictions for 2024. “I do believe that plant-based and alternative proteins are in the right place at the right time! 2023 was such an odd year, but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, at least as it pertains to investing in food systems transformation,” says Elysabeth. Predictions from VegTech Invest Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Sasha Goodman Continued Surge in Health-Conscious Consumer Spending in Plant-based Foods: The Plant-based Innovation sector is poised for substantial revenue growth in 2024, fueled by an expanding health-conscious consumer base. This trend, as seen in companies like Dole plc with a 42.9% sales increase and Vita Coco and Ingredion Incorporated’s strong earnings, reflects a …

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Stock market

Upside & Impact: Investing for Change Podcast Launches on ETF Central.com

VegTech™ Invest announces that The Upside & Impact: Investing For Change podcast, hosted by CEO Elysabeth Alfano, is now available on ETFCentral.com, a destination website and platform for ETF investors and practitioners operated by Trackinsight and the New York Stock Exchange. The podcast airs twice monthly, every other Wednesday, and is produced by VegTech™ Invest, a Registered Investment Advisor focused on investing in public companies innovating for sustainable food systems transformation throughout the supply chain. On the podcast, Elysabeth dives deep with leaders in the impact investing space to uncover the potential financial upside and long-term impact of investing in sustainable sectors like alternative energy, transportation, building materials, biodiversity and natural-based solutions, and sustainable food systems transformation. Topics will range from protecting biodiversity and natural …

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Market & Trends

Signs of S-Curve Adoption in the Alt-Protein Sector

The way we produce and enjoy food is undergoing a significant transformation, in large part due to plant-based innovation and alternative proteins. Plant-based alternatives are predicted to become more cost-competitive with meat and dairy options around 2025-2027, leading to a major ‘tipping point’ in consumer adoption by 2030-2035. These predictions come both from the work and research of industry experts, like Catherine Tubb of Synthesis Capital, and from companies like Beyond Meat, who are setting goals to underprice beef by 2024. VegTech Invest explains how this trend is set to make a big impact based on the concept of the ‘S-Curve’ adoption model, which when applied in this context describes the gradual but powerful uptake of plant-based innovation and alt-proteins. The driving force behind this …

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VegTech Invest hosts impact investing webinar

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Fairs & Events

VegTech Invest Hosts Free Impact Investing Webinar for Vegans

VegTech Invest has announced that it will be hosting a free one-hour impact investing webinar aimed at vegans, which will take place this Thursday (August 24) at 1pm ET. CEO Elysabeth Alfano and Chief Investment Officer Dr. Sasha Goodman will host the webinar, covering topics such as: What is impact investing in the public markets? How can we impact invest for animals?  What is liquidity? What is diversification? What is risk management? Why are these things important to incorporate into our investing goals?  What happened to the Beyond Meat and Oatly stocks?  What should a vegan impact investor be wary of?  “Utilizing investment dollars strategically” VegTech Invest is a Registered Investment Advisory that has created a completely new impact asset class in the capital markets — Plant-based …

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Dave Brett Wasser Joins VegTech Leadership Council

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People

Notable Investor Dave Brett Wasser Joins VegTech Invest Thought Leadership Council

VegTech™ Invest announces influential investor Dave Brett Wasser is joining the VegTech™ Invest Thought Leadership Council. As the newest Advisor to the Council, Wasser will share his knowledge alongside six other renowned experts, including Princeton Ethics Professor Peter Singer, in the areas of Ethics, Environmental Justice, Alternatives Investing, Product Brand Strategy, Next Gen Leadership and Health.   Wasser’s previous accomplishments include Cruelty-Free Investing, a website that helps users align investments with their values by indexing companies that do or do not exploit animals.  “President Dr. Sasha Goodman and I have our heads down in the markets, focusing on investing in a sustainable transition of the global food system,” says VegTech Invest CEO Elysabeth Alfano. “We want to surround ourselves with experts who can brief us …

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Elysabeth Alfano EATV ETF

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Sustainability / Environment

VegTech and EATV Receive ‘Groundbreaking’ Carbon Neutral Certification Without Buying Credits

VegTech Invest Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF (NYSE: EATV) announces it has received what it calls groundbreaking certification from climate services firm Ethos ESG. The certification awarded to EATV, Carbon Neutral Without Buying Credits, is reportedly the first such recognition from Ethos.  According to VegTech, while most of Ethos’ Carbon Neutral Certifications compare the carbon footprint of a portfolio with purchased offsets, the Plant-based Innovation Certification promoted by EATV considers carbon emissions avoided by replacing animal products with a less carbon-intensive food and materials supply chain.  This means investments made by EATV are proactively helping to reduce carbon emissions – by avoiding the creation of emissions – rather than using offsets as a “band-aid” solution.   “Offsets are really important for mitigating global warming, but it …

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