PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Reimagining global agriculture will require numerous efforts of various size and focus, such as those in the news this week from a global agribusiness firm trying to meet targets across complex supply chains, a startup developing ways for bees to deliver natural pesticides, and teens looking to utilize unused space for agriculture or al
LEADERSHIP -
By 2050 there will be over 9 billion people on the planet, and food production will have to increase by as much as 70 percent to feed everyone. We are already struggling to feed everyone today, even in America.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
“Clean meat” — products produced from culturing animal cells rather than raising and slaughtering animals — is facing its first major regulatory battle. The U.S.
WASTE NOT -
On April 21st, at the Palace Cinema in Raffles City, Changning, Shanghai, I attended the premiere of the first of a three-part documentary series, “Jackie Chan’s Green Heroes” — a joint project by the action movie star, National Geographic Partners LLC and Buick — which captures stories of sustainability innovators to inspire and educate the public.
COLLABORATION -
Companies looking to advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and support startups get their solutions to market by using a new digital match-making platform, fetch. The Dutch-based enterprise helps bring together potential collaborators by showcasing market-ready innovations and allowing companies to search by SDG or industry category to find the ones that align with their corporate sustainability goals.
PRESS RELEASE -
Here at Target, we’re proud of our ever-growing, differentiated assortment of must-have products. Our teams search far and wide (literally!) to bring guests popular and exclusive items they’ll love. Sometimes that means creating our very own collections, and other times that means seeking out new and exciting brands. This week our second year of Target Takeoff starts to do exactly that!
Target Takeoff is a mini retail boot camp that brings 10 up-and-coming startups to Minneapolis to work alongside business mentors to learn the ins and outs of the retail industry. The program is a part of Target’s larger retail accelerator capability—which also includes Techstars and our India-based accelerator in Bangalore.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Everyone’s gotta eat – and it makes for a big industry. Globally, food and agriculture is a $7.8 trillion industry. Its also growing (pun intended): global investments in the food and agriculture sector have grown three-fold since 2004 and, according to McKinsey, on average have demonstrated higher returns to shareholders than other sectors. In the US, agriculture, food and related industries generated 5.5% of the country’s GDP at $992 billion, $137 billion of that coming directly from US farms.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3), a multi-stakeholder collaborative that drives the commercial adoption of sustainable chemistry, has selected the 10 startups that have won the opportunity to pitch their sustainable chemicals, materials, products and manufacturing technologies to large, strategic companies at the GC3’s 3rd Annual Green & Bio-Based Chemistry Technology Showcase & Networking Event.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
A team of students from North Dakota State University took the top prize last week at 3M’s Disruptive Design Challenge in St. Paul, Minnesota.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
For the second year, Fast Company is celebrating businesses, policies, and nonprofits that are poised help shift society to a more sustainable and more equitable future with its World Changing Ideas Awards. From melted down guns to nitrogen-producing microbes, there’s quite a bit of variety among 2018’s twelve winners.
WASTE NOT -
As much as one third of the world’s food is being wasted. The United States alone wastes roughly 63 million tons, or $218 billion, of food annually. As awareness of this issue has grown over in recent years, a variety of initiatives have taken root.
PRESS RELEASE -
Danone today announces the successful launch of a €300 million bond to finance and refinance
projects that include positive social impacts. This innovative Social Bond is the first to be issued by a
multinational aligned with the new Social Bond Principles, as set out in June 2017 by the
International Capital Market Association.
A few weeks after the integration of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) criteria in the
payable margin of its €2bn syndicated loan, this pioneering bond issuance continues to support
Danone’s long-term ambition to leading the way to creating and sharing sustainable value. It
attracted significant appetite from investors focused on ESG and was subscribed at attractive
market conditions.
CLEANTECH -
UN Environment has awarded seed funding to twelve young people with business ideas on how to foster energy-efficient, low-waste and low-carbon lifestyles. Each of the winners of the Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge will receive US$10,000 and mentorship to help bring their ideas to fruition.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Does cryptography hold the key to solving global social and environmental challenges? It certainly holds promise for some. Blockchain has become a hot topic recently, thanks to its variety of potential applications across supply chains, marketing, and more.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
With the global population predicted to reach nine billion by 2050 and the realities of climate change quickly unfolding, the pressure is on to find new solutions that allow us to meet growing demand while reducing environmental impacts. Food companies and government have an important role in initiating change, but startups are quickly emerging as the champions of tomorrow’s food system.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The potential of a circular economy continues to unfold as new technologies are help transform everything from post-consumer textiles to almond shells into high-quality raw materials.
CARBIOS, a pioneer in the field of bioplasturgy, has taken its enzymatic depolymerization process to the next level, rendering it applicable to PET polyester fibers from textile waste.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Having achieved all of its previous sustainability goals over the past decade, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is hitting refresh on its sustainability goals, announcing a new set of 2025 targets for smart agriculture, water stewardship, circular packaging and climate action.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Yogurt manufacturer Chobani has unveiled the nine food startups participating in its third Chobani Incubator. The Spring 2018 class is comprised of companies disrupting and improving high-potential food categories in the US, from new and innovative snack products to healthier energy drinks and nutritious foods that can help kids learn to love veggies.
WASTE NOT -
As increasing emphasis is being placed on circularity, the concept of planned obsolescence is being called into question. While it has long been criticized by consumers, brands and governments are finally beginning to recognize that the short-term strategy has no place in the low-carbon economy — and are taking action to promote transparency and resource efficiency.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Financing tends to be on the top of the list of hurdles for sustainable companies looking to scale. A business does not survive on a mission alone, and in order to generate profits and revenue, it needs capital to operate. But for sustainable enterprises setting out to meet the triple bottle line (“Planet, People, Profit”) while minimizing impacts, attracting and raising funding can be a particularly challenging task.