Sustainability – talk about your ultimate buzz-word in the food & ag world! Everyone is talking about it, everyone knows it is a thing, but unfortunately most people are missing out on the truly massive sustainability question. Consumers tend to think at the product level so this problem tends to get lost in everyday conversation. It is also the problem that provides the greatest opportunity for innovators in every part of the food value chain. Most recent stats show that by 2050 we will need to provide food & water to 9 billion people. There are a variety of opinions on how far away we are from being able to do that, but everyone agrees that today it wouldn’t be possible. This is the biggest of all sustainability questions! How do we provide food and water for the ever growing world population with limited natural resources?
I don’t pretend to know the answers, however here are three areas in which entrepreneurs can make a huge difference:
- About 30% of all food produced is currently lost to contamination, waste or spoilage. How do we fix this? From growers to transportation to consumers there is opportunity at every step.
- Both protecting and the more effective use of clean water sources by growers.
- Genetic Modifications Organisms. A controversial topic but the fact is, without genetically modified food, or GMO’s, we would not be able to feed our current population. What is next in this space?
This problem, while daunting, also has a unique incentive that many other verticals may lack. Innovators and consumers in this space are often driven by social incentives and not just financial gains. I am a firm believer that In the long run any solutions will have to be financially sustainable, but the social mission of these companies can help garner early adoption by cause champions who can help push the innovations over innovation’s “chasm of death.” For the world this helps solve the problem more quickly and for an investor it can result in a quicker path to financial success.
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