In the season finale of our 10 part series Feeding 10 Billion, we focus on one word that has come to dominate our discourse and perfectly captures our theory of change - leapfrog. The themes in our podcast this season have given you an inkling of the range of work happening in the new protein sector - from cultivated and sustainable seafood to plant-based protein enriched foods. We hope it has also underlined the fact that however you approach this - be it through the lens of climate change, public health, malnutrition, farmer incomes, water shortage, land use, species extinction or animal wel ..read more

It’s no secret our oceans are in trouble. Climate change and bad policy continue to contribute to major shifts in one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet. Among the most pressing challenges are ocean acidification (the ocean today is, on average, 25% more acidic than in pre-industrial times), overfishing (a staggering 93% of all fisheries are being fished at or beyond capacity, while demand for seafood continues to rise the world over) and plastic pollution (about half of which is a direct result of fishing and seafood consumption; more than 640 ..read more

Through this season of Feeding 10 Billion, two names that have cropped up in nearly every episode are the pioneers of plant-based meats: Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Beyond Meat had the biggest IPO in North America in the last two decades this year. Impossible Foods was first served in Michelin starred restaurants in 2016 and is now making waves at chains like Burger King thanks to its plant-based beef burger being served as the Impossible Whopper - leading to BK’s best quarter in the last four years. On this special episode of Feeding 10 Billion, we feature a conversa ..read more

The famous writer and philosopher George Santayana’s quote says ‘those who cannot remember their past are condemned to repeat it’ but perhaps the more pertinent iteration of that question for our times would be “to know your future, you must know your past”. If you examine some of the biggest technology shifts that occurred in food systems in the holocene era, as the Royal Society, (the UK’s national academy of science) did in 2012, these have typically meant selective breeding of strains of crops to fermentation, pasteurization and even refrigeration. What do these innovations portend fo ..read more

If you want to make a fortune in food, forget about reading the future in coffee grounds and follow the big trends in the food service or the HoReCa (Hotels, Restaurants and Café) sector. This sector is traditionally the make or break point for any food innovation and it is often the first point of contact for exciting new products. We don’t just mean cloud eggs, cronuts or Instagram friendly rainbow coloured food but also foods that are tech-forward flavor bombs like plant-based food and in the near future, cultivated meat. In the US, iconic chefs like David Chang (of Momofuku fame) have hera ..read more

Feeding a billion plus Indians is big business - the Indian food and grocery market is the sixth largest in the world. Food processing in the country is worth over $250 billion and contributes 14% of India's GDP through manufacturing. So what does this prophesize for the growth of alternatives to meat, eggs, and dairy? Pegging the sector accurately and charting its expected growth curve is imperative to mapping how new protein can transform the food system in India. To help us do that, this episode of Feeding 10 Billion features Mark Kahn, the Managing Partner of Omnivore, an impact ventu ..read more

The world agrees we need to eat less meat and eat more plants if we want to save the planet from disastrous climate crises. But that’s easier said than done. In fact, our meat consumption is only set to rise. It was the highest in the U.S. this past year at 100 kilos per capita and by 2030, continents like Africa and Asia Pacific will see tremendous growth in the appetite for protein. But it doesn’t have to come from animal sources. Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods as well as JUST are paving the way for meat made from p ..read more

It may sound like science fiction, but it’s coming to your plate in the near future! Cultivating our meat using just a small sample of animal cells is now a reality. Companies like Memphis Meats and scientists like Dr. Mark Post have pioneered this technology to develop products spanning the gamut of chicken, fish, pork, and other meats. Closer to home, companies like Shiok Meats are also cultivating seafood from cells. The future looks bright, but challenges remain. While in India we can leverage our expertise in the bio-pharma and manufacturing sectors to crossover to this new exciting field ..read more

It is time for a major food revolution. The way we source animal protein has remained the same for thousands of years. We grow crops to feed to animals and rear those animals to eat their meat. But this system is broken - in terms of resource use and greenhouse gas emissions. Add to that antibiotic resistance and zoonotic diseases and it’s clear that protein is no longer healthy for humans or this planet. But, as companies like Beyond Meat, Memphis Meats, and Impossible Foods are showing, a new way is possible. With meat made from plants or cultivated from cells, we could finally shift away fr ..read more

By the year 2050, we will have 10 billion people on our planet. If we want to feed all 10 billion in a sustainable, healthy and just way, it’s time to re-imagine our food systems. Making food that’s better for the planet and for us, has to come without negative consequences like climate change, excessive land and water use, zoonotic diseases and antibiotic resistance. Thankfully, the next food revolution is here, and it involves rethinking the future of protein. Companies like Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, and Memphis Meats are doing just that, and delivering handsome returns while they do it ..read more