Spurred by the Paris Climate Agreement, governments and businesses across all sectors have intensified their efforts in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving ambitious targets rests on reimagining current ways of working and leveraging new technologies that support a green transition. One of the most urgent areas to address is that of food production. With growing populations, it is estimated that the number of people we will need to feed will increase by 50% – translating into a substantial rise in the demand for agricultural production. Meeting this increasing demand in a sustainable and resilient way will involve reimagining the ways we produce food. The food sector currently accounts for about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Food production puts a tremendous strain on natural resources such as land and water, ultimately negatively impacting our biodiversity.
Startup innovations in greentech are one of our biggest allies in the fight against climate change. FoodTech startups continue to bring new technologies and turn the agrifood industry into a more modern, sustainable and efficient sector in all its stages, from food preparation to its distribution and consumption. We take a look at a few of these FoodTech startups redefining the food industry.
By harnessing the ‘power of biology perfected over millions of years’, Mushlabs uses mushroom mycelia to create meat alternative products rich in protein, fiber and umami taste. Fungi’s extensive network in soils acts as a giant natural digestive system for forests – making it one of the most efficient decomposers of our planet. Mushlabs’ ability to up-cycle these nutrients into tasty foods restores the circularity to our modern food systems.
Rethinking the dairy industry, Formo uses precision fermentation to employ microorganisms instead of animals to produce cheese. By rewiring microorganism’s DNA, Formo is able to recreate cow proteins, ferment them, and start producing proteins in order to create a milky-like broth ready for cheese making. Set to launch in 2023, Formo is on a mission to reboot food systems.
Currently, livestock is responsible for nearly 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Cattle feeding requires large areas of land and high volumes of water, with the digestion process releasing significant quantities of methane into our atmosphere. To overcome such challenges, startup Mirai Foods cultivates beef and meat from animal cells. With the extraction of stem cells, the startup is able to mature raw beef in an environmental, ethical, and economically sustainable way – thereby accelerating the transition to a global food system that is better for people, animals, and our planet.
Today, we consume beyond the planetary boundaries necessary to keep our Earth stable and liveable. There is an urgent need to rethink our food systems, which significantly contribute to global emissions. Entrepreneurship is key to solving the climate crisis and entrepreneurs can work in tandem with governments across the world to make that a reality. It’s time to promote startups as engines in solving the climate crisis and bring their powerful voices to policy and government. Get involved and join our recently launched Startup Climate Network here.