Food System

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Guest Posts

In the Wake of MAHA, Is 2025 the Year to Finance Food Fast?

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, an Advisor to a food innovation ETF. She is a consultant to multi-national companies focused on sustainability and an Advisor to C-Suite interested in understanding the growth and whitespaces in the food industry. She is also the host of the podcast, The Plantbased Business Hour on iTunes and vegconomist. In a recent Upside & Impact: Investing for Change podcast episode, Elysabeth Alfano explored the urgency of food system transformation with Ertharin Cousin, CEO of Food Systems for the Future and former Executive Director of the World Food Programme. The discussion highlighted the need for smart capital, policy alignment, and a patient investment approach in the wake of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. In the Wake of MAHA, Is 2025 …

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Guest Posts

Financing Food Fast: Blended Capital and the Race to 2030

CEO of VegTech™ Invest, Elysabeth Alfano, speaks with Caitlin Maclean, senior director of Innovative Finance at the Milken Institute and Holly Freishtat, senior director at Feeding Change. The investment landscape is undergoing a transformation as institutional and philanthropic investors increasingly turn their attention to food systems. Historically overshadowed by sectors like renewable energy and technology, food systems are now being recognized as both a major contributor to climate change and a critical area for financial growth. As discussed in the latest episode of Upside & Impact: Investing for Change, hosted by Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest, the food industry is not only an essential component of human health and food security but also a significant factor in global economic resilience and sustainability. Food systems as …

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Elysabeth alfano

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Sustainability / Environment

How Does the Food System Reduce Natural Capital?

As the global economy faces mounting pressure from environmental degradation, investors and economists alike are grappling with a pressing question: Can economic growth persist if natural capital—the foundation of our ecological and economic systems—continues to erode? Paul Gruenwald, Global Chief Economist for S&P Global, tackled this issue on a recent episode of Upside & Impact: Investing for Change, hosted by VegTech Invest’s CEO, Elysabeth Alfano. The discussion centered around the economic implications of declining natural capital, including the tremendous pressure from our current food system, the necessity of integrating environmental considerations into financial models, and the potential for “green growth” to sustain economic expansion. The case for green growth Traditional economic models have long focused on physical capital—factories, infrastructure, and investment portfolios—while treating natural capital, such …

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Fairs & Events

European Market Giants Gather at ProVeg Retailer Roundtable to Accelerate Sustainable Food Transition

European retail giants, including Lidl, REWE, Colruyt, Albert Heijn, Billa, Biedronka, and others, will meet at ProVeg International’s inaugural Retailer Roundtable, Market Leaders Building a Greener Future, on the 24th of October 2023 in Berlin.  Serving as a platform for collaboration and knowledge, participants will address the sector’s most challenging solutions, including achieving price parity and marketing plant-based foods with the aim to speed up the adoption of sustainable food practices. “Retailers have proven to be the leading lights in transitioning consumers to more climate-friendly foods. This meeting will bring them together in one room to share knowledge that we hope will accelerate their efforts,” said Mathilde Alexandre, corporate and institutional engagement manager at ProVeg International. Embracing sustainability The ProVeg Retailer Roundtable aims to spearhead a …

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Fairs & Events

The European Vegan Summit Returns This September

The European Vegan Summit (EVS), the very first event of its kind in Europe, returns this September to open a global discussion on food production and its impact on animal rights, human rights, and the environment.  Politicians, experts, scientists, media activists, NGOs, and businesses will have the unique opportunity to meet virtually to exchange their insights and expertise on the possible solutions to transition to a plant-based society. “We believe it is high time to start connecting the dots between the world of human rights, environmental rights and animal rights. It is impossible to create a modern nation and develop competitive economies without changing the food system. Only an economy without animal exploitation can provide the answer to the challenges brought by climate catastrophe,” outlines …

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AIM for Climate

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Agriculture / Agribusiness

150 Sector Leaders to Attend AIM for Climate Summit to Support Food System Innovation

Hosted as part of an initiative co-led by the USA and the UAE, the AIM for Climate Summit starts today (May 8) and will continue until May 10. Launched by President Biden at COP26, the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate initiative has accelerated investments of over $8 billion in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovations. The aim is to address climate change, global hunger, and food insecurity challenges, and the initiative has been supported by numerous countries and non-governmental partners. Over 150 sector leaders will attend the summit, such as Minister Luis Planas from Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. Others include US Climate Envoy John Kerry, former US vice president Al Gore, and UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment HE Mariam …

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Products & Launches

The Alternative Proteins Regulatory Tracker: New Tool Provides Up-to-Date Information For Sector

Dentons, which claims to be the largest multinational law firm in the world, announces the Alternative Proteins Regulatory Tracker, a new tool for companies operating in the alt protein space providing an overview of global regulatory regimes for the sector. According to the law firm, since its launch in January 2023, the tracker covers ten jurisdictions, including the EU and its 27 member states, with more jurisdictions to follow. The tracker will help companies with the following:  Staying up-to-date with changes in the regulatory regimes for alternative proteins in different jurisdictions Comparing the regulatory approaches of different governments Staying informed about new developments in regulatory regimes for alternative proteins Dentons explains that food manufacturers often face restrictions concerning the designation and labelling of alternative protein products. “The regulatory pathway for bringing …

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Cultivated Meat

Mosa Meat Whitepaper Urges Governments & Food Industry to Invest in Cultivated Meat

Cultivated beef pioneer Mosa Meat has released a whitepaper calling on governments and the food industry to collaborate to mitigate the climate impact of industrial beef production by investing in the advancement of the cellular agriculture industry. “Beef needs a solution. Industrial meat production continues to accelerate the climate crisis, while the world’s demand for beef is steadily growing. We are creating an alternative approach to producing real beef. I am very excited for what lies ahead as we help reshape the global food system,” says Maarten Bosch, Mosa Meat’s CEO. “Swapping meat with meat” Mosa Meat believes that only “swapping meat with meat” has the potential for the mass consumer adoption needed to solve the sustainability issues currently associated with our food system. But to …

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Guest Posts

Ctrl Alt Meat: Veganuary and the Future of Plant-Based Foods

by Katie Briefel

The global food system is facing unparalleled challenges and changes. So how can we reset for a better, more sustainable future? The answer is already emerging, with investment in alternative protein companies reaching an all-time $3.1 billion high, policymakers beginning to push for reduced meat consumption and supermarket shelves hosting more vegan options than ever before. This Veganuary it is easier than ever to make the switch to a more plant-based diet. Veganuary, the movement which encourages individuals to adopt a vegan diet for the month of January, has proven to be wildly popular with over 500,000 taking the pledge last year, and two million signing up since the campaign began in 2014. As consumer engagement with Veganuary has grown, so too has the food …

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Blue Horizon Corporation

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Company News

Blue Horizons Appoints Five New Board Directors as Part of Mission to Replace Animals in Our Food System

Blue Horizon Corporation has this week announced the appointment of five new members to its Board of Directors: Caroline Clemetson, Walter Huber, Sonja Stirnimann, Aldo Uva and Jo Van Biesbroeck. The newly recruited directors have been onboarded as part of the company’s drive to replace animal proteins with sustainable alternatives.

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Richard Parr, MBE, Managing Director of The Good Food Institute Europe

Richard Parr, MBE, Managing Director of The Good Food Institute Europe
Company News

Richard Parr MBE, Managing Director of GFI Europe: “Want to Change the Food System? Help Us Get Business Onside”

It’s not often that environmental, animal welfare and consumer nonprofits team up with business. But in recent weeks, companies from Unilever to IKEA, as well as leading NGOs such as WWF and Greenpeace, have taken a stand for Europe’s thriving plant-based sector.

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Ecological disaster of fires in Australia

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Guest Posts

Could Australia’s Bushfires be a Turning Point for Plant-Based Production?

As we announced last week, vegconomist is pleased to welcome Veronica Fil – former economic advisor to the Australian government, food industry expert, and founder of vegan brand Grounded Foods along with husband, chef Shaun Quade. In this first special guest post Veronica speaks about a matter especially close to her own heart.

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Society

UN Report Warns Investors to Prepare for Major Shift to Plant-Based Global Food System

A United Nations backed independent organisation, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), has recently released a report warning investors to prepare for a major shift towards a plantbased food system. The report by the PRI, titled the Inevitable Policy Response, overviews a number of policies that should be put in place imminently to mitigate climate change.

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Katleen Haefele, International Head of Food Services und Events bei ProVeg (Foto: ProVeg)

Katleen Haefele, International Head of Food Services und Events at ProVeg (Image: ProVeg)
Interviews

New Food Conference 2020: “New Proteins are the Key to a More Sustainable Food System”

More and more companies are investing time and resources in developing strategies to satisfy the growing demand for meat, fish, and dairy without putting further strain on the planet’s limited resources. From young startups to major players, innovation and sustainability are crucial topics for everyone involved in the food sector.

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