Food From Thought: March 2022
Meati pre-orders sell out within 24 hours, Aleph Farms increases operations sixfold, the future of farming in space, and more.
How did we get here? Looking back at the food system as a whole, in the 19th and 20th centuries the focus was on making more food available to more people to feed a growing population. And it worked. Calories have never been as universally available as they are today. But, in the middle of that push, the impact that these advances in food manufacturing were having on our bodies and the environment were overlooked. Now we’re seeing that imbalance play out — many of the foods we’re eating are unhealthy for us and damaging to the planet.
And the time to fix this is now. The global population is on track to reach 10 billion people by the end of this century, and rising standards of living are increasing the demand for protein worldwide. This is creating significant challenges for the global food supply. We want to be part of the solution to this very complex problem of making more protein available to more people. Plant-based protein fermentation is simply a better solution as it requires less inputs to produce than raising a cow, chicken or pig. It’s a more efficient use of limited resources.
Our own Dan Altschuler Malek recently discussed the population growth and food system transformation forces that are driving the alternative protein market with David Ram on Goldrock Capital’s Definitely Uncertain podcast. It’s a great overview of where we’re heading and where we’ve been that’s worth a listen if you haven’t yet.
Abbot’s Butcher
Love Rock ‘n’ Roll and Vegan Pizza? Your Dream Valentine Is Here
Siete, with retail sales topping $200M, jumps onto burrito chain's menu
15 Vegan Brands That Make Plant-Based Whole30 So Much Easier
Aleph Farms
Alpha Foods
BlueNalu
Matrix Meats
Meati Foods
Miyoko’s Creamery
Mosa Meat
Mosa Meat (Kinda) Open Sources Its Method For Cultivating Meat Without FBS
Hitting the Books: Lab-grown meat is the future, just as Winston Churchill predicted
Novameat
NUMU
UPSIDE Foods
Wicked Foods
Food Dive: Food tech saw $39.3B in VC investments last year, says PitchBook
Modern Farmer: The Future of Farming in Space
New York Times: What Does the End of Beef Mean for Our Sense of Self?
South China Morning Post: Alternative protein investments nearly double across APAC in 2021, as climate change drives strong consumer demand
Sustainable Brands: Kraft Heinz, Not Company Out to Upend Industry with AI-Driven, Plant-Based Food Innovation
The Beet: First Plant-Based COVID Vaccine Receives Approval. Would You Take it?
TheNextWeb: A plant-based filet mignon gave me a taste of a meatless future
Vegconomist: German Federal Health Minister Calls for 80% Cut in Meat Consumption
VegNews: I Tried the First Plant-Based Whole30 Program and Here's What Happened
VegNews: 30 Women-Owned Vegan Businesses to Support Today
The Bulletin with UBS: Founding Partner Chris Kerr and Chad Sarno of Good Catch were interviewed recently as part of UBS’ Global Visionaries program, talking impact investing and culinary innovation and how plant-based foods are changing the way we fish, farm, eat and live. Listen Now
Definitely Uncertain Podcast: Protein Alternatives and the Future of Food Innovation: Managing Partner Dan Altschuler Malek joined David Ram with Goldrock Capital to discuss the new technologies coming to alternative protein foods, how population growth has affected the global food supply and the different alternatives available in the market. Listen Now