When it comes to the future of food, there are many possible scenarios. One outcome comes from continuing the path we’re already on. At first glance or without digging into the details, it may seem like our current model of food production is working. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see that the food system is broken and prime for radical transformation. We can thank the Covid-19 pandemic for shining a light on the cracks.
Around the world, after becoming hotspots for Covid-19 infection, slaughterhouses were forced to close en masse. Cramped, high-pressure worker conditions were a recipe for quick virus transmission. These closures caused major disruption to the supply chain.
Animals, raised purely for consumption, had to be slaughtered in the millions, because there was nowhere to process them and turn them into meat. A backlog occurred; farmers were in disarray. There was mass panic about meat shortages on the shelves.
But one industry that experienced minimal disruption? Plant-based food. When you turn plants into meat, there is no backlog of animals to dispose of when one part of the supply chain breaks down. The industry is being built with sustainability at the forefront, and it’s stood up to the test throughout the events of 2020.
By 2030, the alternative protein industry is predicted to be worth $85 billion.
Blue Horizon Ventures, a venture capital fund focused on building a sustainable future of food, has 15 companies in its current portfolio. These include conscious biodesign company Geltor, alternative protein brand Alpha Foods, cultured meat company Mosa Meat, and our very own LIVEKINDLY Collective. Not one of these companies participates in animal agriculture, and not one experienced supply chain issues associated with Covid-19.
Blue Horizon Ventures is focused on tackling problems in the food industry, not building new ones or exacerbating existing ones. When it comes to the latter, there are many. Animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. It is also linked with major deforestation, water pollution, soil erosion, the list goes on.
Blue Horizon Ventures is committed to building a resilient food system. One that is better for us, and the planet. This has garnered them major interest from new investors, especially in recent months. This, combined with the fact that plant-based food is profitable. By 2030, the alternative protein industry is predicted to be worth $85 billion. That’s up from $4.6 billion in 2018.
To raise awareness for Blue Horizon’s ongoing mission, this week, I had the privilege of taking part (virtually) in the Founders & Investors Get Together Event.
Alongside other like-minded founders, investors (both current and prospective), and industry experts, I spoke about the LIVEKINDLY Collective’s mission, and the importance of building a food system that cuts out animal agriculture completely, and instead, focuses on creating one that centers around plant-based protein. It was the first event of its kind, but the intention is to make it an annual occurrence.
With unique, mission-led, conscious venture capital funds like Blue Horizon Ventures at the helm, I am excited to see what the future of food brings. I am eager to see a sustainable industry unfold, one that prioritizes the planet and all living creatures on it. Blue Horizon Ventures proves that we can use business as a force for good, sustainable, and necessary change in the food system.