Now that climate beneficial eating is becoming more popular, and a number of individuals and organizations are getting into the space, I feel called to share with a broader audience what I encounter every single day through my work at Future Food and Food for Climate League. Weekly, I share startups I read about, products I tasted, founders I met (and a bit of personal life!). Every single concept I mention will be tracked on a public database we’re populating. The overarching goal is to increase the general interest in this topic, acknowledging that the challenge is too big not to work cooperatively.
This initiative is possible thanks to our amazing Future Food Ecosystem, where our team is working head-down every single day to research, design, create, and commercialize new food solutions to help our planet.
My word of the week
Offload. NOUN / rid oneself of (something) by selling or passing it on to someone else.
Food, Climate and Innovation: three highlights of the week
1/ Regenerative Farming in the Meat Industry
While it seems like the world is busy creating every plant-based meat alternative possible, the meat industry is working to keep their consumers through various ways, most importantly focusing on their environmental impact: Meat production contributes heavily to the increases in greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, soil degradation, water stress and coastal “dead” zones.
So how are meat brands “redeeming” themselves? One approach is regenerative farming: regenerative agriculture employs farming and grazing practices that restore degraded soil, improve biodiversity among pollinators (especially bees and butterflies) and increase carbon capture in the soil to create long-lasting environmental benefits.
Applegate has taken to this approach with the recent release of “The DO GOOD DOG”, the first nationally available hot dog sourced from beef raised on verified regenerative grasslands. Applegate is not the only company focusing on regenerative agriculture, General Mills released a Beef-Barbacoa Inspired Bar that was raised using regenerative farming practices that improve soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem function. And Nestlé, which uses meat in many of its frozen products, has pledged to invest nearly $1.3 billion on transitioning its global supply chain to regenerative agriculture over the next five years.
While the plant-based trend has transitioned many consumers to less meat consumption, there is still a large percentage of consumers looking to eat meat but open and demanding for sustainable practices to ensure both better quality and a more positive environmental impact. What do you think of utilizing regenerative agriculture to boost the positive impact of meat?
2/ What to expect for the post-pandemic holiday season?
After the lack of festivities in 2020, consumers are looking to return to their pre-pandemic lifestyle for the holidays bringing back the traditional holiday meals. According to the New York Times, Thanksgiving 2021 could be the most expensive meal in the history of the holiday. How so? The ongoing effects of COVID-19 from labor shortages, transportation issues, lack of packing materials, high feed costs, trade policies, bad weather, and inflation are all resulting in this rise in expense. In September, the Consumer Price Index for food was up 4.6 percent from just a year ago.
The Food Industry Association released its U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends Tracker, Holidays, a comprehensive report on the impact of COVID-19 on US grocery shopper perceptions and behaviors heading into the busy holiday season.
According to the report, 58% of shoppers expressed concern about being able to purchase groceries they need for holiday meals, and 18% of shoppers plan to shop in advance for Thanksgiving meals this year.
While not everyone is planning to return to their pre-pandemic holiday routines of large social gatherings due to the Delta Variant, Anne-Marie Roerink President of 210 Analytics, recommends “everyone to purchase early to put less stress on the system those very busy days right before the holiday.”
3/ Barley Milk: The Next Dairy Alternative?
The shelves have been lined with almond, soy, and oat alternatives leaving little room for new alternatives. Yet, barley brings something important to the table being a highly drought-resistant crop making it easier to grow in extreme climates. Additionally, barley is allergen friendly as it is naturally nut and soy-free.
Sourced from different farms in the UK and milled by Shipton Mill, Bright Barley, was the first barley milk recently released in the United Kingdom. Low in fat while also a source of fiber, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12, they currently offer three single serving beverages in the flavors chocolate, salted caramel, and coffee.
Take Two Barleymilk a non-dairy milk made from upcycled barley, is high in fiber and protein content. Spent grain was viewed and treated as ‘leftovers,’ and either fed to livestock, or sent to landfills, however, the company uses rescued and upcycled barley from the beer-brewing process to craft Take Two Barleymilk. For more information about their upcycling process, see here.
Barley is just one of the new alternatives, we will also be seeing milks based with peas, flax, chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans, navy beans, and alternatives made with a blend of plant ingredients such as flax, oat and peas. What’s your preferred milk alternative? Are there any plant-based milk alternatives you haven’t seen yet?
Climate Friendly products of the week
Cometeer Coffee
Cometeer produces frozen brewed coffee capsules sourced from well-known specialty roasters throughout the U.S.
Aqua Cultured Foods
Aqua Cultured Foods developed the first whole-muscle cut sushi-quality seafood alternatives using microbial fermentation.
CaPao
CaPao is a plant-based snack made from upcycled cacaofruit.
The Future Food Institute believes climate change is at the end of your fork. By harnessing the power of our global ecosystem of partners, innovators, researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs, FFI aims to sustainably improve life on Earth through the transformation of global food systems. Learn more at www.futurefoodinsitute.org, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or attend a program through the FutureFood.Academy!
Can I help you with the work you’re doing? Please reach out to me here!
Thank you Natalie Brandenburg for the priceless help putting this article together!