Russ Tucker

As the harsh reality of warmer and wetter winters hits agriculture, we are seeing more and more farmers in the UK and in Europe turning to #regenerativeagriculture practices to protect against #flood and #drought and boost #foodsecurity.   Pioneering farmers are rethinking the traditional post-war plough/fertilise/grow/repeat model and instead focusing on techniques to restore and build soil health. So-called #regenerative farms are investing in existing plants each year - valuing precious root systems rather than ploughing for example. Regenerative techniques are supporting #farmers across the country and have a climate benefit for us all.    Vitally, #healthysoil stores much larger volumes of water, preventing floods and protecting against droughts. While it might seem hard to imagine a dryer landscape after months of floods, hotter summers are also more likely - droughts are the next threat that we see on the horizon.   Regenerate Asset Management is a specialist private equity investor, investing in farms transitioning to regenerative agriculture across Europe. The co-founders previously worked at Impax, the climate positive private equity investor. Regenerate Outcomes is a sister business which supports the regenerative farming community with #education and opportunities to share knowledge.   Case studies of farmers ‘Meet the farmer’, adopting regenerative agriculture practices are available here - https://lnkd.in/e7BYHg9H. Nicholas Burlington Addy Windsor-Clive Ryan Cameron David Bates Jeremy Stroud Ananya Manna Philippa Saxon Matt Jordon Tom Dillon Christopher Heathcote Jake McNaughton Claudia J. Erik Bruun Bindslev Josh Heyneke Oliver Martin Jake Locke Timothy Coates https://lnkd.in/e4wnYGjX

51

6 Comments

Gene Editing Accelerates Fruit Ripening and Increases Fruit Firmness of Tomato https://lnkd.in/e2JPW_-q

7

2 Comments

In the first of a new blog series we look at how intensive farming systems are hugely wasteful and damaging to both people and the planet and whether regenerative agriculture provides a solution? Intensive food systems and recent farming practices are wreaking havoc on human and planetary health. When it comes to biodiversity loss Britain has suffered greatly, losing the most flora and fauna species of all the G7 nations and more than many other countries, including China, while the nation's poor diet costs the NHS £11 billion annually We depend on biodiversity every single day, with pollinators estimated to be responsible for a third of the world's crop production. Therefore, it's vital for us to conserve nature while moving toward sufficient, permanent and equitable food production and consumption, which must be at the heart of true food security. Hand in hand with the issue of biodiversity loss is the colossal impact caused by our wasteful diets. The UK has the third cheapest food in the world. This has driven intensification and consolidation within the farming sector and alongside the rise of ultra-processed food has in turn precipitated the degradation of the UK's biodiversity and soils. History clearly reveals that consistently aiming for higher yield through ongoing intensification is economically and environmentally unviable. We would argue that sustainable outcomes are a more important measure than sheer yield quantity. As the Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford, Dieter Helm puts it; "What is unsustainable, cannot be sustained". Yet some people would have us believe that there's no choice other than inflicting greater intensification in our food and farming systems. But that's simply not true. There are viable, sustainable alternatives to this Machiavellian horror show. #proudtobeorganic #IGrowYourFood #IFOAMorganicseurope #regenerativefarming #ofgorganic #sustainability #agriculturebiologique #health #sustainablefarming #organicfarming #organic #organicfood #organiclife #UKorganic #organicresearchcentre #biodynamic #sustainabledevelopment #farmingforthefuture Paul Holmbeck  Eric Gall  Silvia L. Schmidt Vicki Hird  Sarah Compson  Alex Cullen  James Cashmore  Adam Forrest  Cristina Dimetto  Maria Taffurelli Adrian Carne Jim Manson  Steven Jacobs  Becky George  Debs Roberts  Jo Barron

35

7 Comments

GMO Saffflower expressing dairy proteins via PMF https://lnkd.in/enzHhmyB

1

Starting with my conclusion: Using genetic approaches to reduce methane emissions from beef and dairy cattle is not in the future, it is here now. Meryl Richards and Vrashabh Kapate nicely lay out 4 key points for food companies to think about to address enteric methane from the beef and dairy supply chains, based on a conversation last week with Jim Eckberg, Bauer (Thomas) and Hannah Stefenoni. While I agree that investment is needed by food companies to incentivize the right behavior from their suppliers, I don't agree that more research is needed before we can leverage "low-methane" genetics. Speaking with a beef lens, we have these genetics today. In a structured breeding program, such as ABS Global has built with #NuEraGenetics, each new generation grows more efficiently than the last and thus provides a product with lower carbon intensity. The difference is measurable and impactful. We are also making sure it's credible and defensible. And, we can do this while still providing a better product for the consumer and more profit for the farmer or rancher. There are clearly genetic research activities in progress that will likely contribute more methane reductions but we don't need to wait to implement genetics as a key emissions reduction intervention. We are doing this today and have the genetics that can make a difference for reducing enteric methane. Genus PLC Genus ABS #sustainableag #sustainablegenetics #sustainability

50

4 Comments

Agrifoodtech investor PeakBridge has closed its Growth Fund II at $187m, targeting series A and B stage startups in five categories: ingredients innovation, alt protein technologies, digitalization and food systems 4.0, nutrition & health, and alternate farming systems. While it is a challenging time to raise money, founding general partner Nadav Berger says PeakBridge has “always been incredibly disciplined in our investment thesis. We invest in b2b, scalable, protected technologies. We never got into the b2c plant-based hype, but if we can invest in technologies that will make meat and dairy alternatives cleaner, tastier, or with better texture, this is where we want to play.” Peakbridge remains focused on the five ‘pillar’ categories listed above, adds Berger, “But we see a shift in the proportions within those five pillars, and the one attracting more and more investment is digitalization and the intersection of AI and food. We have at least six companies that are heavily supported by AI now.” #Peakbridge #foodtech #agrifoodtech #funding #investing #artificialintelligence #AI AgFunder

246

13 Comments

"I think we're starting to see carbon treated as a preferential product attribute similar to what you would see in the meat industry like a quality grade or some type of differentiated product, like a no antibiotic ever or specific housing system." If you want to understand how producers and supply chains may be able to leverage carbon savings from genetic interventions, this is a really nice overview of work in progress by the National Pork Board and Pig Improvement Company (PIC) - North America. This effort is setting the standard for how industry stakeholders can manage and claim carbon reductions from genetic innovations in the pork supply chain. NPB and PIC are true innovators in this space. While the beef supply chain is structurally different, the demand for carbon reductions from beef production is growing and this work provides a nice template for how carbon reductions from beef improvement can be viewed and ultimately claimed. ABS Global is doing the hard work of quantifying the sustainability benefits of beef genetic improvement that accrue across the beef supply chain. We'll be sharing more are we progress, but the opportunity to address beef value chain sustainability is immense. Banks Baker Lindsay Case Ellen Lai Jonathan Foot Genus PLC #sustainableag #sustainablegenetics #beef https://lnkd.in/g8ewn7UJ

32

2 Comments

WHY WHEAT? AND WHAT IS REGEN? 🤔🤔🤔 George Lamb, Co-founder of Wildfarmed, sat down with the Sorted Food team on the Under The Cloche Podcast to discuss the big questions surrounding #regenerativefarming and our mission to revolutionise food. 🚜🤝🌍 Full episode links below: 📹 - https://lnkd.in/eMQjHvgB 🎙️- https://lnkd.in/eRF_zRs5

149

11 Comments

Excited to share RFSI’s first Quarterly Round-up for Regenerative Food Systems Investing! We’ve been tracking deals, fund activity and other news happening across the regen ag and food space for years but this is our first time sharing a summary of what we’re seeing. So what are the highlights from Q1 2024? 🌎 More than $722 million was committed to regenerative agriculture and food 🌱 Biologicals was the top investment theme by number of deals 🧑🏼‍🌾 Farmland transition was the top theme in terms of total capital invested 💸 We tracked 5 new investment funding vehicles launched and 3 fund closes 👀 Plus, some incredible reports released to help advance engagement in the space. Has us thinking: ⚙️ Could regenerative be a bright spot for a still slow agtech venture space? ⛓ We're pleased to see two investments in the middle of the food supply chain - is there more of this on the horizon? 🍎 Human health and nutrition is gaining well-deserved attention... and more capital - where else can we fund to move this forward? There’s lots more - read all the details here: https://lnkd.in/gJ3mxqNY Regenerative Food Systems Investment #investment #regenerativeagriculture #foodfinance #farmfinance #agtech

66

6 Comments

We have exciting news from Nector (our agritech arm) regarding their portfolio company, WDD: WDD focusses on developing market analytics tools for the fresh produce industry (aiming to create transparency and reduce waste), and are proud to announce that they have recently released their Avocado Intelligence tool https://lnkd.in/dah8ksXB. Issues of oversupply, complex supply chains and changing quality requirements increasingly challenge the avocado market. It is more important than ever for avocado businesses to gain deeper market and business insights so as to become more effective with better forecasting. WDD’s Avocado Intelligence platform uses independent mass data to provide transparency in the global fresh produce market. It is specifically tailored to enhance operating and forecasting efficiencies, aligning supply with demand and providing increased transparency in trading. By leveraging their platform, companies can navigate market fluctuations and increase their business performance with greater agility and confidence. Kate Murray, Investment Manager at Nector, says “this tool is the first of its kind in the avocado industry, it is a game-changer and Nector and the Halls Group share WDD’s excitement. It’s great to see AI and big-data analytics being used to address real-world problems.” For more information, please view https://lnkd.in/dah8ksXB or contact Peter Rosman at peter@wdd.nl Better food security, a better tomorrow #reducewaste #betterdecisionswithdata #worksmarterandfaster #wddtechnology WDD Halls Kate Murray Nector Holdings

42

1 Comment

Great move Waitrose & Partners committing to help 2000 UK farmers adopt regenerative practices supported by network of demonstration farms and a commitment to help farmers baseline their impact (positive and negative) on nature and develop and implement plans for improvement. In the past there have been plenty of 'flash in the pan' PR announcements by supermarkets and FMCGs about 'support' for farmers. It feels like a significant minority of companies in 'big food' is finally waking up to the existential environmental and socio-economic threats to the farming base that sustains them. Farming (particularly smallholders and family farms) are right on the frontline of the #climatecrisis (Noting yesterday's research by the Guardian that saw 70% of key scientists state that they believe we are going to get a minimum 2.5C of heating this Century and 50% seeing over 3C - which is societal breakdown territory). But we need more than the rollout of standards/learning to farmers. We need a 'root and branch' review of how reward and risk is allocated across food value chains. The current model wasn't fit for purpose in 'good' times it certainly won't sustain us in the future we are stepping into. https://lnkd.in/e3ecXNrY

484

35 Comments

This was one of my favourite episodes (I know I shouldn’t have a favourite). As a supply chain we need to move away from this thought that sustainability and efficiency are linked therefore farmers will just get on with it because it’s good for their bottom line. Any change requires an initial input, like a chemical reaction even with the most volatile chemicals, a spark is needed. We often assume that’s cold, hard cash (and that can help) however, often it’s an effort to deploy a thing - tech solution, process or just a way of doing things differently. That cost comes in time, labour and engagement. If we don’t make the effort to support farmers in how to be more efficient, as they are already trying to be as efficient as possible then we cannot expect change. As a supply chain we need to support those ‘costs’. That way we can see change at pace. 10 farm businesses in our first cohort, £1 million is efficiency savings and a between 5 and 10% fall in carbon footprint.

16

2 Comments

🚨 NEW REPORT ALERT! 🚨 At Regenerative Food Systems Investment (RFSI) we constantly get asked: When will we get more capital at scale into the space? The most common answers to this that we hear are: 📊 The space is too nascent. 🕵️ We need more data, case studies, and pilots. 🏗️ We need more financial infrastructure to support it. Yes, the space is nascent and we are still learning about and innovating around how to finance it. But there are people and entities who have been working on this - some for the past few years, some for more than a decade - who are leading the charge to learn more, do more, get more data, share case studies, and build that necessary infrastructure. So excited to read this brand new report - Financing for Regenerative Agriculture - from Transformational Investing in Food Systems, Pollination and The Rockefeller Foundation, which digs into what we’ve learned so far and where we can go next. 📖 More on this soon but for now: enjoy this weekend reading! (Link in comments 👇) #regenerativeagriculture #foodsystems #investing #foodfinance #agfinance

56

3 Comments

I'm supporting the petition to push the UK Government to double the farming budget. This is necessary to ensure a just transition to environmental farming, protect farmers' livelihoods, invest in resilient local food systems and support more people into farming, food production and land working sectors. Food is a basic human right and without farmers we’d have no food. Despite this, farming receives less than 0.4% of UK public spending. Now, for the sake of climate, nature and food security, we urgently need to transition to more environmentally-friendly farming practices. The UK Government is failing to provide farmers with enough support to pioneer this transition, and it's time for our Government to show it values nature, values farmers, and is committed to securing the future of our food system. Please sign, share and support!! https://lnkd.in/eRvCdD5d

5

BTV-8... the new strain of #BlueTongue virus predicted to affect #UK ruminant #farming in 2024. We can all mitigate non-natural breeding spaces for midges and help restrict the impact on our #farmers by adequately dealing with still water deposit collection where possible. https://lnkd.in/eTpfiAT5

2

Want to join the Food revolution? 🏵 The age-old gardening question 👨‍🌾 What came first? The plant or the seed? In this case, it's the pre-seed. Foodscape is gearing up for the next stage of growth and has just opened its #SEIS #EIS. Less than 1% of Food is grown in our town's and cities. It's time to change that narrative - Foodscape is leading the charge as we launch in the home and B2B markets, scale operations, and bring food growing to the masses. There's no reason why food growing should be complicated, and we're here make it simple at home, the office, and in the community …from seed-to-plate. Comment below if you'd like to find out more about the raise ⬇ #entrepreneurs #innovation #foodanddrink

10

2 Comments

The chief commercial and product officer at Ivy Farm Technologies talks to Clare Nicholls about how quickly cultivated meat is likely to reach chefs in the foodservice sector How is cultivated meat created? We take a small biopsy from a pig or a cow, like taking a plant cutting. Rather than putting it into soil, we put it into a vat with some proteins, vitamins and minerals to feed those cells, and then we harvest meat at the end of that. Why do we need cultivated meat? People love eating meat! One solution to reduce climate impact is for all of us to give up meat, but that isn't happening fast enough, so we feel cultivated meat is a new solution to help people have a sustainable option for enjoying the meat they love. How does it compare to livestock meat in terms of sustainability? There was a peer-reviewed study last year in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment that took data from cultivated meat companies and compared it to farming practices. It found that, for beef in particular, cultivated meat creates 92% fewer emissions, 90% less land use and 66% less water use, and it's almost six times more efficient at converting organic matter into meat. So there are some quite good sustainability advantages. And what about flavour comparison? We've not seen a lack of flavour – we've grown pork and beef and they are both very characteristic of their meat counterparts. We are a very new industry, so we've really played on how we can affect flavour by using different things in our media, or the material we use to grow our cells. For example, if we put more unsaturated fatty acids in there, we have more Omega-3 in the finished product. So we know we can tailor nutrition – whether we can tailor taste I think is yet to be seen. Cultivated meat is not currently regulated in the UK – how is that process progressing? We are quite advanced now with authorisation in the UK, so we hope that within 12 months or so we could get approval. Since Brexit, the Food Standards Agency [FSA] has been working hard at novel foods reform and it has been consulting the industry. [Novel foods are new foods that don't have a history of consumption before 15 May 1997, such as phytosterols in cholesterol-reducing spreads]. We've had some constructive conversations with the FSA and more recently we know it is going to apply for a Regulatory Sandbox [where firms test new products with real consumers under regulatory supervision] to look at a faster novel foods process, in particular for cultivated meat. There's some real pragmatism coming through from the FSA. If you'd have asked me the approval question six months ago, I wouldn't have thought it would be within 12 months – I would have gone for more like two years. But I really feel there's a bit of a fair wind with the FSA where it is now open to working faster with companies like ours. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/dqUrBH44

3