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The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.
According to many, with climate change in full swing and the global population booming, the food supply has taken a hit. What humans have eaten the last couple hundred years could be different in the future as the globe faces possible changes in weather, agricultural access, and safety of food as a whole. How does the world feed billions of people sustainably? What do farming and protein production look like in 2050?
Meet a few companies that are hoping to change what’s on dinner plates for the better:
Marine Protein From Land?
Blue Star Foods
This international marine protein company has grown to be one of the leading marketers of imported blue swimming crab meat in the U.S. With its products sold primarily in the U.S. and Europe, Blue Star Foods Corp. BSFC says it focuses on high-quality products that have traceability, food safety and sustainability in mind.
Blue Star entered the food technology space through the use of its recirculatory aquaculture systems (RAS), a method that uses a controlled environment to harvest fish in indoor tanks. RAS grows seafood with no antibiotics, has virtually zero environmental impact, and low-to-neutral CO2 emissions. It also produces fish in controlled waters that have not been polluted, ensuring food safety and security for consumers.
With some expecting protein consumption to double by 2050, marine-based proteins could become some of the most efficient and safe producers of animal proteins. According to Blue Star, RAS in particular is the most efficient way to scale marine protein creation to fill this gap. BSFC’s RAS Division is called Taste of BC Aquafarms Inc. which has created a modular system that it believes can produce predictable and repeatable results that may ultimately fuel this new marine-based market on a large scale. This division competes directly with similar RAS companies, including AquaBounty Technologies AQB, and Atlantic Sapphire ASA (ASAAASZF.
Its products are sold at companies like Walmart Inc. ((WMT, ">)), The Walt Disney Co. ((DIS), Costco Wholesale Corp. COST, Sysco Corp. ((SYY, ">)), and US Foods Holding Corp. ((USFD). Abiding by environmental, social, and governance rules, the products are sustainable and socially conscious while also available for large-scale production.
Is Plant-Based In and Meat Out?
- Meatech: Ever think dinner could be 3-D printed? With Meatech 3D Ltd. ((MITC), that may not be too far off from reality. Creating an alternative to the pollutive, industrialized farming that has been around for centuries, this Israeli lab-grown meat company developed a cell-based bioprinting press without harming animals. Recently, it filed for a patent application for the differentiation of stem cells to produce cultured fat as well as its bioprinting method that focuses on pork cells production and partnered with celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary.
- Tattooed Chef: “Italian Born, L.A. Made” is the tagline of this plant-based company that plants, grows, and manufactures tasty fresh and frozen products. Tattooed Chef Inc. TTCF ingredients are grown in Italy and assembled in California, offering a tried and true farm-to-table product range. With a market value of $5 billion in 2019, plant-based products like these are undoubtedly on the rise.
Got Milk? Dairy Alternatives
- Oatly: If you ordered a latte with oat milk recently, chances are you’ve tried Oatly Group ((OTLY). The Swedish company patented its gluten-free liquid oats nearly 25 years ago, bringing to market one of the most popular plant-based milk brands worldwide. Dubbing this the “post-milk generation,” Oatly sales are included in the nearly $2.5 billion in sales for milk alternatives in 2020.
- Danone: This company headquartered in Paris is focusing on changing the way the world eats for the better with some of its alternative-to-dairy products at the forefront, including Alpro. Made out of seeds, grains, and nuts, Danone Sponsored DANOY Alpro has a host of products including plant-based milk and yogurt.
AgTech: Manufacturing the Future
- AppHarvest: The AgTech company AppHarvest Inc. ((APPH, ">)) is on a mission to grow the most nutritious, fresh vegetables and fruits in Appalachia. Using 90% less water, no harsh chemicals and pesticides, 30 times more food per acre, and year-round farming indoors, the company uses recycled rainwater and hybrid lighting to minimize its environmental impact. In addition, artificial intelligence and robotic harvesting help with precise growing and “plant the seeds for a better tomorrow.”
- Ingredion: This company turns fruits, grains, vegetables, and plants into sweeteners, starches, and other materials that are not only used in food but everyday products. Ingredion ((INGR) also caters to the growing gluten-free, high-fiber, and more specialized food products that are in demand.
So, what will be for dinner when all is said and done? No one is sure just yet, but these companies might have a good idea about the food of the future.
The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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