Forget about the butcher's boys 🔪
Welcome to "nouveau monde", sort of a "nouveau genre" newsletter to better understand how to make the world better through the lens of retail. This is #19!
This week in nouveau monde, we’ll talk about plant-based food and fashion, agriculture and dollars!
Things move fast in retail and sustainability, we’re really happy to help you get the right tips and be inspired!
Read, like, share, subscribe :-)
Today's newsletter is 975 words, a 3.3-minute read.
Will you be hooked to Accro ?
by Anthony
I ate my first meat substitute about 30 years ago when my mum (coucou Maman! Yes, she is a subscriber ;-) ) made her first move towards a better feeding. At that time, I have to admit the tofu she served me wasn't that appealing, a bit chewy and really had no taste. But, it was a first step to a more sustainable diet, even if, in the early 90's, we didn't really think about climate change and how meat was a real problem to it.
Since then, things have changed a lot and we know that the food system is about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the world. And inside this quarter, a huge amount is due to raise animals for their milk or meat...
We also know that beef is the most consuming in term of emissions, land use, water...
By the way, it maybe time to challenge one or two mythes about meat and sustainability...
I eat local so I don't have to change my habits : FALSE !
Transportation has little to count when it comes to food production, even for meat…
It's ok to eat meat if I buy it from sustainable producers : FALSE !
Yes, there is a huge gap between a sustainable beef producer and an intensive one : from 9kg of CO2 to produce 100 grams of beef proteins to 105kg. But yet, producing 100g of proteins from my mom's tofu only emits 1.6kg and peas 0.36kg...
It will always be better to replace proteins from meat to plant-rich diets in a greenhouse gas perspective...
But, especially in the western countries, people are hooked to their hamburger, with fresh, bloody meat.
So it's no surprise that a lot of companies are trying to tackle this problem and try to make the more approaching burger with plants.
Not dedicated to veggie people but to help people shift from meat to plant- based meat and reduce meat consumption
In 2017, thanks to Phil (coucou Phil !), I had the opportunity to taste an Impossible burger and I have to admit that it really was an amazing experience.
Since then, a lot of companies have launched their own plant-based meat and in the last few days, I've seen many announces of new products and raises : The Protein Brewery in the Netherlands, Green Rebel in Indonesia, Hooray Foods in the US, Proferment in Denmark... and last but not least, a little frenchy just launched its own steak : Accro ! (disclaimer : I know the team!)
In just a few years, the team behind Accro managed to develop a plant based steak with peas and wheat that looks great. I haven't tested it yet but I will surely do in the next few days as it is sold in all the Chronodrive around my home. And I'll let you know how it tastes :-)
CVC & agriculture
by Phil
Coucou Anthony :)
I found something quite surprising in the news: French fashion house Chanel and German sportswear firm Adidas have both announced they are backing different funds and ventures that have projects related to sustainable agriculture. Yes, you got it.
The Landscape Resilience Fund, managed by Swiss company South Pole, a climate solutions provider and project developer with over 500 experts in 20 offices worldwide, in partnership with World Wildlife Fund, invests in #SMEs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with a business model that enhances the resilience of local communities. The objective is to raise $100 million by 2025 to invest in projects to promote sustainable agriculture, protect forests and support small-scale farmers in developing countries.
The new fund is an independent non-profit foundation under Swiss law and is driven by the objective to generate the maximum possible level of environmental and social impact. Chanel is committing USD 25 million to complement finance from the Global Environment Facility's Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund. “There has never been a more critical time for the private sector to step up and help close the investment gap needed for effective climate adaptation,” and “The LRF offers an opportunity to explore different approaches that could help advance changes in our own supply chain and business practices”, said Andrea d’Avack, chief sustainability officer at Chanel, said in a statement. There we go.
In the meantime, Adidas, pushed by its desire to increase the proportion of sustainable materials used in its products, is investing in Finland’s Spinnova, a company that makes textile fibre out of wood or agricultural waste. Adidas has agreed to subscribe for 3 million euros ($3.65 million) worth of shares in Spinnova's planned initial public offering, bringing the total investment it has secured to 58 million euros. Spinnova is building its first commercial factory in Finland with strategic partner and wood raw material supplier Suzano (a Brazilian pulp and paper company with presence in over 80 countries and the largest pulp and paper company in Latin America), and is also building a pilot facility for fibre production out of leather waste.
Adidas is wishing to secure access to "significant volumes" of its patented fibre in future. A 500 million euro sustainability bond Adidas issued last September was five times oversubscribed, with proceeds earmarked for investing in renewable energy production and projects to promote recycled materials.
Also, Adidas has pledged to shift to using only recycled polyester from 2024 and is also involved in research cooperation with another Finnish start-up, Infinite Fiber, to develop a process that can transform used clothes into a cotton-like material.
Fast Rewind
Still talking about fast grocery delivery with a long article about it in London in the Guardian, a pleasant read to go deeper in the psychology of fast delivery