Area 2 Farms’ Post

A Tale of Bees, Honey, and Human Ingenuity Mead, often called the "nectar of the gods," is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to humankind. This sweet elixir, born from the marriage of honey and water through fermentation, has a rich history intertwined with the story of bees and their crucial role in our ecosystem. Ancient Origins Mead's origins date back to around 7000 BCE, with evidence of its consumption found in Chinese pottery from the Neolithic period. It gained prominence in many ancient cultures, from the Greeks and Romans to the Vikings and Celts. In Norse mythology, mead was believed to grant wisdom and poetic inspiration. The Key Ingredient: Honey At the heart of mead is honey. Honey’s natural fermentable sugars made it an ideal base for early alcoholic beverages, especially in regions where grapes were scarce. Bees: Nature's Master Pollinators The production of honey is just one of the many vital services bees provide. As pollinators, bees play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and supporting global food production. It's estimated that bees are responsible for pollinating about a third of the food we consume. Mead and Sustainable Agriculture Modern mead production offers an opportunity to support sustainable beekeeping practices. By sourcing honey from local, responsible beekeepers, breweries can help maintain healthy bee populations and promote biodiversity in their regions. The Renaissance of Mead After falling out of favor for centuries, mead is experiencing a renaissance in the craft beverage world. Contemporary breweries are experimenting with various honey types, fruits, and spices, creating a diverse range of flavours that appeal to modern palates. Challenges and Conservation Despite mead's resurgence, bees face significant challenges, including habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. The decline in bee populations threatens not only the production of honey but also global food security. Efforts to protect bees include promoting pollinator-friendly practices in agriculture, creating bee-friendly gardens, and supporting policies that limit harmful pesticide use. The story of mead is a narrative that highlights the intricate relationships between humans, bees, and our environment. As we sip a glass of Mannheim Craft Brewery mead, we're celebrating a legacy of natural wonder and human creativity, and acknowledging the critical importance of bees in our world. By supporting sustainable mead production and bee-friendly practices, we can help ensure that this golden elixir, and the industrious insects behind it, continue to thrive for generations to come.

AgTech & Food Tech: September 2024 Summary ☘️ In September 2024, the agrifood and food tech sectors made significant advancements, focusing on sustainability, efficiency, and personalized nutrition through cutting-edge technologies. 1. AI-Driven Precision Farming & Supply Chain Optimization AI technology continues to revolutionize farming and supply chains. In agriculture, AI tools like Microsoft’s Krishi Mitra are helping farmers improve crop yields by offering precise insights on soil health and weather impacts(Microsoft). AI is also enhancing supply chains, reducing food waste through predictive analytics that optimize delivery routes and monitor inventory. 2. Regenerative Agriculture & Sustainable Farming Practices The push for regenerative agriculture is growing, with an emphasis on improving soil health and carbon sequestration. Companies are investing in AI-powered tools that enhance soil monitoring and reduce the need for harmful pesticides. This shift towards sustainable farming aims to restore ecosystems while maintaining productivity. 3. Alternative Proteins & Cellular Agriculture The alternative protein sector is rapidly expanding, with innovations in plant-based and cultured meats. Companies like Gourmey are investing in infrastructure to scale production of cultured meat, while hybrid products that combine plant and cultured cells are gaining traction. This growth is crucial for addressing global food security and reducing the environmental impact of traditional animal farming. 4. Food Waste Reduction AI-driven technologies are at the forefront of tackling food waste. Startups like Too Good To Go are using predictive analytics to help retailers minimize waste by redistributing unsold food. AI is also playing a critical role in optimizing restaurant and retail inventories, reducing spoilage and ensuring better resource management. 5. Sustainable Packaging Consumer demand for eco-friendly packaging is pushing the food industry towards sustainable alternatives. Innovations include biodegradable, compostable, and even edible packaging materials, aimed at reducing plastic waste(GreyB). Companies are investing in plant-based materials and bioengineered polymers as viable replacements for single-use plastics. 6. Personalized Nutrition & AI-Based Dietary Solutions AI is transforming the personalized nutrition space, with tools that provide tailored dietary recommendations based on individual health data and genetic profiles. Platforms like NutriMe are helping consumers adopt personalized diets for better health outcomes. This trend reflects the growing interest in functional foods and nutraceuticals that support preventive health. Will continue to follow these developments. Follow us COREangels Food Stay tuned for more!

A radial overhaul of our food system could generate US$10 trillion pa in benefits. Yes, you read that right, US$10 trillion. This estimate is from a recent report from the Food Systems Economic Commission. For companies, investors, and sustainability professionals this creates a massive opportunity. We all know the arguments about why the system has to change - the costs to society, and the risks we face. What I want to focus on today are the benefits, not just for society, but for the companies that get ahead of the curve. This was the topic of a recent What Caught Our Eye for The Sustainable Investor. The blog contains links to the report and to other useful research. Let's start with how companies create value ? They offer products and services that meet a need, in a way that generates a fair financial return for their investors and other stakeholders. So, what are the currently unmet needs that a transformed food system could resolve? Or putting it more simply - what are the opportunities? The answer is more complicated than I could cover in this simple post, but at a high level they are a mixture of ones you know, and some that you may not be as aware of ... First, making our food system more resilient to the climate change we know is coming. This includes developing new plant and animal breeds. Plus, perhaps more importantly, building supply chains that are more flexible - in location and in the crops we grow (and how we grow them). This is a topic we have written on before. Our food system is concentrated on just a few foods, making it increasingly at risk. Good alternatives exist, we 'just' need to promote them. Supporting innovation. Plant breeding is one aspect of this, as is precision agriculture and, in some markets, automation and robotics. Plus, alternative protein sources. Again, all topics we have written on before. For investors, think the historic transition to tractors, but materially more diverse. And let's not forget the development of healthier (but still affordable) food. The technologies here are already well understood, we just need to fully commercialise them. Now, one you might not be so aware of. The modernisation of farming techniques. In particular, improving labour productivity and workers' livelihood opportunities, especially for poorer workers in food systems. For example, improving plant breeding in low- and middle-income countries; supporting environmentally sustainable, biodiversity-friendly, and low-emission farming systems. Coffee growing is one example of this that we have written on before, but there are multiple others. Some of these opportunities already make financial sense, but we will need new business models to fully develop them. And, yes, some of them will need financial support. But much of this can come from refocusing our food and agricultural subsidy systems. And there is a real future role from blended capital, where governments, philanthropists and companies work together. 

Distributed Food Computing & De-risking Centralised Production Not only have the variety of foods we used to eat depleted, grown & consumed, the amount of mineral base in it has gone down dramatically. The cost of pivot from mechanised food production to regenerative is expensive, and unless done adequately, and slowly, the ratio of 1:3 for now, where organic food production and taking to market is at least that expensive now, May just boomerang out of control. So unless, these large complex variables are not understood, and the government does not help experimenters, the cost to market will be accompanied with amazing real world crashes. So when we say regenerative farming, true, we need it, but if we gave a engineering team & a business team a case study on this, It is unlikely that spending at least a year to 3 years with farmers - mandi middle men - business houses may occur to most entrepreneurs in this sector, and investor money may be burnt up. There are 3 ways we can build these models: 1.) With the government, with some private stake_holder_ship. Including producers may be a initial hit that the center or state may take. Private bodies can take the hit for creating new markets for these newly produced products, which to start with cannot be 1% of the market produce. Do we have enough buyers and educated customers? Who then pays for the behavioural nudge? The entrepreneurs doing this, should think long term, beyond financial inclusion, and Big Data will be a crucial part. How will satellite & drone be leveraged, and how will data be monetised? 2.) There are communities in Mumbai - Pune - NCR - Hyderabad - Chennai - Mysore - Bangalore who can easily be convinced to consume organic, but then trust - traceability - taste will be crucial. Some folks can just work on these simple surplus models. 3.) A group of farmers can produce a diverse product portfolio, and some of it can be consumed in local markets (avoid distribution for more than 100 kms for perishables), and then create peer to peer networks (reduced marketing cost & customer acquisition cost), and then percolate local market creation intelligence across villages - blocks - districts, and then again, without local entrepreneurs & Gram Panchayats, Executing these are impossible? What ideas do you have? Have you spoken with at least 50 other people? Have you lived with farming communities or are you writing code base thinking of a future which is based on imagination? Every state have their own tinkerers, and I am attaching a little document for all those who want to build a better food secure future in India, from today, over the next decade. #foodsecurity #watersecurity #climatechange #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #permaculture

🔄 Circular food systems dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and require much less agricultural land 🚜 Redesigning the European food system will reduce agricultural land by 44%, while dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 70%. This reduction is possible with the current consumption of animal protein 🐄 If we also reduce the amount of animal protein we eat, replacing it with plant-based protein, land use could be reduced by 60% and emissions by 81%. These are the remarkable results of model calculations by PhD candidate Wolfram Simon. He is conducting his research at the Farming Systems Ecology Group, WUR. An article about his study was recently published in the renowned academic journal Nature Food. 🌱 A transition to a fully plant-based diet is often thought to be best for the planet. However, Simon's calculations show that this is not necessarily the case. There is a certain optimum for animal consumption, which is 40% animal protein (instead of the current 60%). This is partly due to the nutrients that animal products can provide. "Moreover, animals are recyclers in the system. They can recycle nutrients from human-inedible parts of the organic waste and by-products in the food system and convert them to valuable animal products," Simon says. An optimal food system looks very different from today's agriculture. We need a different consumption pattern. For example, we now eat more protein than is necessary (and healthy). Simon: "In our study, the biggest contribution to a sustainable food system comes from consuming protein sources with a lower environmental impact ( 🐔 more chicken and fish; less beef, dairy and eggs 🍳) and redesigning agricultural production. Grow crops in places that yield the most and have an ideal climate and fertile soil, and less in places where production conditions are difficult due to the harsher growing conditions 🥕 Avoiding organic waste as much as possible and reusing all residue streams as animal feed or crop fertilizers is essential. In addition, minimizing transport makes for improvement," says Simon. "This research is useful for setting long-term objectives. When you think about changes in the production system and nutrition, what are the best strategies and direction of change to achieve greater sustainability? We want to offer ideas for redesigning the food system and quantify and test the impact of the proposed measures, such as circularity and protein transition. Government and public agencies can then make more informed decisions to redesign the current food system to reduce environmental impacts." 💡 Read the full article 👉 https://lnkd.in/gStmg2MS #foodsystems #circular #proteintransition #agriculture #sustainability

Interesting insights on the sustainable food system 👇

At New Food Finance we track and analyze investments driving a green transition in the agri-food sector. As sustainability drivers grow to protect the climate and biodiversity, innovative companies in agtech and food tech are reshaping food production in ways that parallel the energy sector's transformation. In our “Green Transition” space last week, we saw fundraising worth over $106 million and 1 M&A deal. United States, October 11 – California Cultured Inc. (Undisclosed) California Cultured aims to use cell cultivation techniques to produce coffee and chocolate in bioreactors, raising an undisclosed amount from Sparkalis to support its production methods. Germany, October 10 – forward earth ($4.92 million) Forward earth is a Berlin-based startup dedicated to revolutionizing environmental management with AI-powered software solutions. The company raised $4.92 million from Mosaic, Speedinvest, and Revent to enhance its sustainability platform. Italy, October 10 – xFarm Technologies ($39 million) xFarm Technologies offers satellite-based precision agriculture services through its app and dashboard, raising $39 million from Partech, Mouro Capital, Swisscom Ventures, and United Ventures to expand its digital agriculture solutions. Canada, October 9 – Vision Greens ($13.13 million) Vision Greens operates a fully automated vertical farm in Ontario, producing local greens and herbs. The company raised $5.84 million in debt and $7.29 million in venture capital from Farm Credit Canada to enhance its production capabilities. United States, October 9 – The Jackfruit Company ($5 million) The Jackfruit Company specializes in vegan and vegetarian dishes based on jackfruit, raising $5 million from InvestEco Capital, Creadev, and Grosvenor Food & AgTech to support its growth. Spain, October 8 – UOBO ($0.55 million) UOBO has developed a cholesterol-free, plant-based egg, raising $0.55 million from Enzo Ventures for further product development. United States, October 8 – AgroSpheres ($12 million) AgroSpheres develops RNAi-based pest control using biodegradable encapsulation for enhanced plant health, raising $12 million from Zebra Impact Ventures, Mirabaud Asset Management, and others. France, October 7 – La vie Vie ($27.44 million) La Vie produces soy-based bacon, raising $27.44 million from Zintinus and Sparkfood to enhance its product offerings. Switzerland, October 7 – planetary SA ($3.51 million) Planetary SA operates as a full-stack mycoprotein and precision fermentation platform, raising $3.51 million from Cosun to expand its capabilities. Netherlands, October 8 – dsm-firmenich DSM-Firmenich produces a wide range of feed additives, including its methane suppressant product, Bovaer. The company completed a sale of its yeast extract business to Lesaffre.

In the wake of the climate crisis and declining profitability in coffee production, regenerative agriculture has emerged as a transformative solution. First defined by the Rodale Institute in the early 1980s, the term encompasses a wide range of farming practices that support producers’ long-term environmental and economic resilience. One of its guiding principles is improving soil health to increase productivity, minimise environmental impact, and grant farmers more control over their own supply chains. Both large and small players in the industry are showcasing their support of and participation in these practices. Multi-nationals like Nestlé, Starbucks, illycaffè, and Lavazza are investing heavily in regenerative farming, while third wave roasters and traders such as Equator, Sucafina, Heirloom, Belco, and Bella Barista are increasingly sourcing Regenerative Organic Certified coffees. These sector-wide shifts signal a new trend of adopting and encouraging more holistic farming practices. But to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing and sustainable buzzword gimmicks, more work needs to be done to understand and measure these practices. In today’s article, Melina Devoney speaks to Jorge Cuevas, Chief Coffee Officer at Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers, Jeffrey Chean, co-founder of Groundwork Coffee LLC, and Gabriel Agrelli Moreira, Manager of Quality and Market Development at Daterra Coffee, to learn more. https://lnkd.in/dJdTWYFy #PerfectDailyGrind #RegenerativeCoffee #CoffeeProduction

The future of food can be found nestled among emerald green pastures and rolling hills lush with wildflowers. Red barns, breathtaking valleys and pristine lakes dot the landscape. A visitor to the area might just think they’ve stumbled into heaven, instead of the cradle of innovation for one of America’s most beloved grocers. About a half-mile up the hill, Canandaigua Lake comes into view, and so does the Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard. Apple trees, sunflowers, herbs and greenhouses abut a beautiful large wooden building. When you park the car and step on the ground, flittering pollinators and the aroma of lavender envelop visitors. While much of the grocery industry pivots attention and capital toward artificial intelligence and other technologies as the next transformation of the retail food industry, Wegmans is doubling down on nature. The company’s organic farming operation in New York State has more than doubled in size since first opening in 2007. Wegmans Food Markets, which has 111 stores and 54,000 employees across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, today farms more than 40 acres of tomatoes, herbs, apples, grapes, berries, micro-greens and so much more. The farm has become the beating heart of sustainability for the company as it seeks to lead the grocery industry on a path toward a future of food that is more sustainable and regenerative.

Did you know your morning cup of Nescafé could help support a more sustainable future for coffee farming? At Nestlé, we are helping to ensure a thriving and more sustainable coffee sector for generations to come. Through the Nescafé Plan 2030, we’re working with coffee farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture practices. Here's a look at some of our efforts: 🍃 Supporting More Sustainable Practices: We're working with coffee farmers to adopt methods that can improve soil health, conserve water, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2023 alone, we’ve reached 277,000 coffee farmers across 27 origins, distributed over 21 million coffee plantlets to support farm renovations, and assisted coffee farmers in planting 3 million forest and fruit trees to help increase biodiversity and build farm resilience.  🌎 Investing in the Future: Globally, Nestlé is investing over $1 billion to accelerate the shift towards regenerative agriculture. The Nescafé Plan 2030 is a key driver of this progress. 🌳 Empowering Farmers: Through the Nescafé Plan 2030 farmers are trained on soil health, fertility, and biodiversity, all with the goal of creating healthier soils that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change and can increase yields, overall helping improve farmers' livelihoods on a global scale.  Dive deeper into Nescafé's journey and see how a delicious cup of coffee can go hand-in-hand with a more sustainable future. https://lnkd.in/erKbNWeb