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investment opportunities in sustainable food to 2030
Food production contributes around 37 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and contributes nearly 19 times the amount of carbon dioxide as the commercial aviation industry, according to estimates. Rising populations and improving global living standards could expand the sector’s impact still further. If global food production increases by 15% over the coming decades, as some predict, emissions may increase by up to 80% from 2010 to 2050. And with an increasing emphasis on achieving net-zero emissions, we expect more companies to be looking for ways to mitigate and reduce their impacts in this sector.
Animal-based foods produce roughly twice the emissions of plant-based alternatives, which makes some plant-based foods a more sustainable option. Moreover, consumers are increasingly choosing plant-based food and drink. The global plant-based food market is expected to grow from $44.2 billion in 2022 to $161.9 billion by 2030.
Technological discoveries are helping to drive a proliferation of more sustainable foods. Improved understanding of nutritional science and chemistry is driving discoveries in prebiotics, and probiotics for nutraceuticals (food substances that provide medical or health benefits), functional foods (foods that offer health benefits beyond their nutritional value) and supplements.
At the same time, more sustainable agricultural practices, which make use of wireless sensors, artificial intelligence and 5G connectivity are underpinning precision farming, allowing farmers to irrigate fields with the exact amount of water and fertiliser required, resulting in reduced wastage.
Companies such as Oatly and Beyond Meat have become household names. Impossible Foods, arguably one of the best known plant-based food brands, built its first large-scale food manufacturing site in California and partnered with a co-manufacturer, OSI, to provide additional manufacturing capacity. In their wake, startups focusing on meatless meats and dairy-free milks have proliferated and established players Kellogg's and Nestlé have also followed suit, expanding their own plant-based ranges. While these products will be a regular fixture on supermarket shelves, operators of agriculture and livestock industries have the potential to yield the biggest reductions in environmental impact.
