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Research Outline

Prepared for Andrea S. | Delivered September 10, 2019

Farming and Food Companies Committed to Sustainability

Goals

You would like to know how many companies in the farm-to-food verticle have made commitments to sustainability. To give a general ideal of what the farm-to-food verticle is, it includes farm input companies (e.g. Corteva, Bayer, Novozymes), startups (e.g. Indigo), food companies (e.g. Perdue, Kellogg's, etc.), retailers (e.g. Walmart), and value chain players in this space (e.g. Bunge, DSM). Additionally, you would like some examples of specific companies in this space that have made such commitments. For each company you would like their name, logo, and stated commitment. For this project, 'stated commitment' means that the company has stated/announce that they are committed to some area of sustainability, either for their own company or for some area within their value chain.

Early Findings

  • A 2017 survey notes that 77% of food and beverage companies who responded to a survey "changed or added products based on consumer sustainability concerns," thereby expanding their sustainable sourcing, focusing on waste reduction, and using eco-friendly packaging. This survey also noted that some common sustainability practices being implemented by these companies are "waste reduction, supplier standards and accountability measures, sustainable ingredient sourcing, employee health-and wellness-programs, and water conservation," in addition to others.
  • A survey published in 2018 seems to further corroborate the findings above, noting that 80% of food and beverage industry players said that sustainability is important at their company.
  • The number one driver for food and beverage companies to focus on sustainability is consumer demand (77%), which is further corroborated here. Regulations, scarcity of materials, and increasing costs of materials are also noted as significant drivers of sustainability in this industry.
  • According to a 2017 survey conducted by the U.S. Farmers Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), 74% of farming/ranching respondents to the survey "believe the agriculture industry has reached a level of environmental sustainability in production of U.S. crops and livestock that should satisfy food companies."
  • According to Crunchbase, Hazel Technologies, Puris, and AgroSpheres are leading companies in the United States agriculture industry.

HAZEL TECHNOLOGIES

  • The company's logo can be found here.
  • Sustainability Statement: "At Hazel Tech®, we are passionate about saving food and resources. We are dedicated to solving the problem of food waste in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner."

PURIS

  • The company's logo can be found here.
    • Sustainability Statement: "PURIS develops a spectrum of regenerative non-GMO seeds from peas and soybeans through partnerships with USA growers. PURIS contracts to buy back the growers crops and manufactures organic and non-GMO plant-based ingredients. PURIS is the engine behind the plant-based food industry, providing clean-tasting non-GMO and Certified Organic pea protein, pea starch, and pea fiber. Through this system, PURIS helps you make the sustainable choice the easy choice."

    AGROSPHERES

  • The company's logo can be found here.
    • Sustainability Statement: AgroSpheres feels it is a “moral imperative to create technology that works toward sustainability."