4Mins Read A new consumer research report has highlighted “brand peer pressure” and technological innovation as critical to push forward sustainable behaviour among both shoppers and businesses. The new report, conducted by a team of behavioural change and sustainability experts, also puts forward a range of recommendations, among them reminding consumers that “they are not alone when […]
4Mins Read SaladStop, the Singapore-headquartered healthy salad chain with locations across Asia, has carbon labelled its entire menu, making it the first restaurant in the region to do so. Describing the move as a “simple and convenient way for customers to make planet-friendly food choices”, the chain’s commitment comes as more F&B businesses begin to take up […]
7Mins Read Sales of plant-based meat alternatives have skyrocketed over the past year, as consumers turn their attention to health, nutrition, sustainability and food provenance more than ever before. But who exactly is driving the growth of plant-based meat, and what reasons are most critical in pushing consumers to turn to alternative proteins? Plus, why are these […]
3Mins Read A new Netflix documentary is set to shed light on the enormous environmental impact of the global fishing industry. Set to launch in late March, Seaspiracy will take a deep dive into the destruction the industry is having on our marine ecosystems, its role in fuelling plastic pollution, and challenges the concept of “sustainable fishing” […]
3Mins Read Clara Foods, the San Francisco food tech developing animal-free proteins and chickenless eggs, has announced the launch of the world’s first 100% pig-free pepsin, an enzyme ingredient widely used in food and pharmaceutical products. It marks the startup’s first commercialised product, which will be distributed exclusively with global ingredient giant Ingredion. Clara Foods is rolling […]
4Mins Read Israeli food tech Aleph Farms has announced a new partnership with Brazilian food conglomerate BRF, who owns the likes of Sadia, Perdigão and Qualy, to bring cell-based meat to Brazil. The new collaboration between the two firms will involve co-developing and producing cultivated proteins using Aleph Farms’ patented technology, coming shortly after a similar agreement […]
4Mins Read An astonishing 931 million tonnes of food sold to households, retailers, restaurants and other food services, equating to 17% of all food available at consumer levels, was thrown out in 2019, reveals a new U.N. report. The index, which tracks global progress on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to half food waste by 2030, […]
3Mins Read A new collaboration between the Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) and Social Ventures Hong Kong (SVhk), an organisation supporting social enterprises, has been forged to drive the growth of value-led businesses in the city. Working together as an impact partnership, the two organisations will seek to accelerate the “business with purpose” movement, help tackle environmental […]
4Mins Read Sweetgreen, the American fast casual salad chain, is the latest food establishment to hop on the sustainability bandwagon, pledging to become carbon neutral within the next six years. Describing the commitment as the “right thing to do”, the popular healthy go-to salad spot says that it will be increasing its range of plant-powered options and […]
4Mins Read Salmon aquaculture is leading to devastating consequences on our natural environment, from harming marine ecosystems via pollution, to the high stocking densities that are causing fish mortality rates skyrocket, leading to negative costs amounting to US$47 billion since 2013. Researchers say that these findings, published in a new report, should serve as a warning to […]
3Mins Read Impossible Foods, the maker of the famous plant-based beef alternative, has announced that it is cutting retail prices in Hong Kong grocery stores by more than 20%. The move comes after it lowered prices in the U.S., which marked its third double-digit reduction from the food tech in less than a year, thanks to what […]
4Mins Read Regularly eating meat has been linked to a wide range of diseases including pneumonia, diabetes and heart disease, finds a new large-scale study conducted by British researchers. Notably, the study found an association between meat consumption and nine non-cancerous illnesses, many of them not considered in previous research. The latest findings add to the plethora […]
4Mins Read Regularly eating meat has been linked to a wide range of diseases including pneumonia, diabetes and heart disease, finds a new large-scale study conducted by British researchers. Notably, the study found an association between meat consumption and nine non-cancerous illnesses, many of them not considered in previous research. The latest findings add to the plethora […]
3Mins Read OmniMeat, the flagship plant-based pork mince product developed under Hong Kong-based Green Monday’s food tech arm OmniFoods, has just launched in Japan. It will be available across eight outlets and chains across the country, as well as via foodservice in a number of restaurants, in yet another expansion of Green Monday’s global presence amid surging […]
3Mins Read OmniMeat, the flagship plant-based pork mince product developed under Hong Kong-based Green Monday’s food tech arm OmniFoods, has just launched in Japan. It will be available across eight outlets and chains across the country, as well as via foodservice in a number of restaurants, in yet another expansion of Green Monday’s global presence amid surging […]
3Mins Read Anglo-Dutch global oil and gas giant Shell funded an industry group lobbying to block efforts by U.S. banks to tackle climate change, an investigation has found. Even as the corporation made new sustainability pledges and made net-zero its goal publicly, documents reviewed by nonprofit journalism platform SourceMaterial and HuffPost showed that Shell backed the lobbyists […]
4Mins Read Vestiaire Collective, the Paris-headquartered global resale site for premium pre-owned fashion, has announced the closing of a €178 million (US$216 million) financing round, led by luxury group Kering and New York-based investment firm Tiger Global Management. The funding, which propels the startup to unicorn status, will be used to accelerate its global expansion plans amid […]
4Mins Read Plant-based seafood maker Ocean Hugger Foods has announced its return, partnering up with Bangkok-based Nove Foods to roll out its products globally in 2021. The company, which was forced to shut down its operations due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, will work with Nove Foods, whose distribution spans 30 countries, to reenter the alternative […]
3Mins Read Zyrcular Foods, the Barcelona-based alternative protein producer and distributor, has revealed that its new 1,500 square metre facility has begun manufacturing plant-based protein. Located in the town of Seva, the green energy powered factory will be able to produce up to 1 million kilograms of alternative protein for brands, retailers and foodservice businesses annually at […]
4Mins Read The European plant-based food industry has grown by 49% within the last two years, driven by record high levels of demand across the region, a new study finds. The research, which represents the most accurate overview of plant-based consumer habits in Europe to date, also highlighted plant-based milk as the fastest-growing category in the majority […]
3Mins Read New York-based food tech Blackbird Foods has raised US$1.5 million in a seed funding round, which will go towards expanding the distribution of its wheat protein plant-based meat alternatives known as seitan, and vegan hand-tossed frozen pizzas. It comes ahead of the startup’s plans to double down its retail footprint in the U.S. nationwide in […]
3Mins Read Clive’s Pies, one of the pioneering British brands in the plant-based and “free from” category, has just launched two new products, including what it bills as the world’s first Vegan Quiche Lorraine, as well as a Creamy Cauliflower Quiche. Launched at British retail giant Waitrose, the new 100% plant-based and organic quiches come in plastic-free […]
5Mins Read More than three-quarters of consumers in Singapore are open to trying cultured seafood, a recent survey finds, with the primary motivations being sustainability, curiosity in the novel protein, and health and food safety concerns. The research, originally conducted for cell-based food tech Shiok Meats for internal purposes, has been shared exclusively with Green Queen Media […]
3Mins Read A new index tracking the global list of publicly traded plant-based stocks has just been launched, offering users a simple and accessible way to overview the burgeoning sector. Described as the “vegan Dow Jones”, VegTech, The Global Vegan Impact and Innovation Index (VEGT), currently features 21 companies and will be reporting monthly to reflect the […]
6Mins Read Alternative protein is taking off all over the world, with consumer demand reaching all-time highs and investor enthusiasm in the food tech space greater than ever before. The Arabian Gulf region is no exception to this trend, where the ecosystem is heating up big-time, with young startups racing to develop novel sustainable proteins, venture capitalists […]
5Mins Read Investment into the agri-food tech industry in 2020 is expected to top US$30.5 billion, representing a 34.5% increase from the year before, according to new statistics. As the pandemic continues to spotlight the critical need for resilient supply chain solutions, funding has been pouring into a range of ventures in the industry, spanning from novel […]
4Mins Read Future Fields, the Y Combinator-backed Canadian startup creating custom growth media for the cultivated protein industry, has announced the closing of a US$2.2 million seed funding round. The firm also revealed that it has shipped out its first proprietary FGF2 growth factor protein, which does not require non-slaughter-free fetal bovine serum (FBS), to cell-based meat […]
Some of the most exciting young “ocean innovators” accepted into UpLink, the open digital platform launched by the World Economic Forum (WEF), are working toward sustainable progress in ocean conservation.
Life below water is a vital planetary resource that we depend on for everything from absorbing nearly a third of carbon dioxide produced by humans, to supporting the very coastal ecosystems that act as buffers against natural disasters and providing livelihoods for over three billion people in the world.
But thanks to human activities that degrade the natural environment, plastic pollution, ocean acidification and marine biodiversity loss has reached alarming levels.
Now, startup companies and nonprofit organisations are coming up with solutions in a bid to reverse some of the damage we’ve done and developing innovative ways to protect our oceans and their living inhabitants.
Arc Marine
1. Arc Marine
Founding date: 2015
Founders: Tom Birbeck & James Doddrell
Headquarters: Devon, United Kingdom
Arc Marine has designed innovative “reef cubes” that can help boost large-scale coral restoration projects. Their patented solution enables the creation of reef structures anywhere in the world, allowing “anyone from scientists to remote fishers can contribute to rebuilding reef systems”.
CHARM
2. CHARM
Founding date: 2019
Founder: Stephen Rodan
Headquarters: Washington D.C., United States
CHARM is a coral farming robot developed using scientific research and computer automation to help reduce costs and save time to grow large-scale coral colonies. It has been created by the partnering nonprofits Beyond Coral Foundation, based in the U.S., and Beyond Coral México, who have made it their mission to protect coastal ecosystems.
Plant A Million Corals
3. Plant A Million Corals
Founding date: 2019
Founder: David Vaughan
Headquarters: Summerland Key, Florida, United States
Plant A Million Corals has come up with cost-efficient and adaptable coral restoration units that can be deployed to support coral growth and also empower communities to participate actively in protecting life under water. Using micro-fragmentation processes, the planting projects allow for rapid coral growth and healing at rates that are around 25 to 40-times faster than they would naturally occur, making it possible to save and recover lost reefs.
Cascadia Seaweed
4. Cascadia Seaweed
Founding date: 2019
Founders: William T. Collins, Mike Williamson, Tony Ethier
Headquarters: Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
Cascadia Seaweed recently shifted its strategic direction from being an ingredients supplier to a human food producer, manufacturing delicious and sustainable plant-based food products out of seaweed. Their goal is to provide nutritious vegan foods while promoting climate action, ocean regeneration and economic resiliency for Indigenous communities through seaweed cultivation.
SharkSafe Barrier
5. SharkSafe Barrier
Founding date: 2014
Founders: Michael Rutzen, Sara Andreotti, Conrad Matthee, Anita Nel, Laurie Barwell
Headquarters: Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
SharkSafe Barrier is a solution that successfully biomimics the visual look of a kelp forest, combining it with permanent magnetic stimuli to form an eco-friendly barrier that deters shark species from passing through in order to protect humans from sharks without harming our precious marine life.
Australian Seaweed Institute
6. Australian Seaweed Institute
Founding date: 2018
Founder: Jo Kelly
Headquarters: Teneriffe, Queensland, Australia
The Australian Seaweed Institute is developing a seaweed biofilter technology to conserve the Great Barrier Reef. They have come up with a network of seaweed biofilters that can be harvested for applications in a variety of products such as biofertiliser, and hope that they can drive a sustainable and climate-positive seaweed industry in Australia.
3Mins Read Head over the Bandung, the city set in the middle of volcanoes and tea plantations in Indonesia, and you’ll find a startup working on turning waste into sustainable animal-free leather. Called Mycotech Lab, the company was inspired by tempeh, the traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans, and came up with its own technology to […]
3Mins Read Have you ever thought about how you could make a positive impact with your money? London-based startup Creed is about to debut its new mobile app aiming to do just that, combining finance with climate impact management. Features on the platform include spending management, carbon footprint tracking, offsetting emissions and more. Set to launch soon, […]
