We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about innovations in the food system and their potential to both drive transformative shifts within our four investment themes and generate returns. Following the guidelines laid out in the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, we developed a methodology to rank these innovations, which we call segments, so we can focus on those with the greatest potential.

Impact and sustainability are frequently used interchangeably. In theory these concepts jointly create the foundation for a responsible business. In practice they are implemented through policies and procedures often managed by the same people and communicated via the same documents. Re:food invests in companies with high impact potential. As we refreshed our sustainability framework, we realized how important it is to distinguish between sustainability and impact and to act with intention where they overlap (and where they don’t), especially when supporting, partnering, and investing in companies with impact at their core.

Animal-based protein consumption has risen drastically in the modern era, enabled by new industrialized farming practices. In addition to creating serious animal welfare violations, these practices have contributed to systemic challenges like antibiotic resistance and deforestation. The fact is, we need to invest in and scale more resource-efficient, animal-free production methods that can meet the growing demand for protein while reducing pressure on our planetary boundaries.

Modern food supply chains are long, linear, and wasteful. They depend on numerous stakeholders and middlemen, with little transparency or ability to track the flow of goods, emissions, and financial returns through the system. These supply chains have enabled urbanization and introduced new foods and flavors to our palates. But they have also decreased visibility into where our food comes from, increased food, nutrient, and plastic waste, and yet fail to ensure that nutritious foods are available to all people around the world. And the growth of these depletive supply chains is unsustainable. The alternative is short, circular supply chains that help us stay within our planetary boundaries while still moving food and resources to where they need to be, even as our population and economy continue to grow. Investing in this alternative is a key focus for us.

At the root of the food system is soil health, but modern agricultural practices are disrupting the soil food web and destroying precious topsoil. We believe that the Fourth Agricultural Revolution is happening now — a revolution that prioritizes soil health, that relies on biological processes, and that celebrates biodiversity above and below ground. We are investing in innovations that will help us preserve and build topsoil, the cornerstone of our food system, and will ensure that we can produce food in the future without sacrificing yields today.

The world currently produces enough food for everyone to consume more than enough daily calories, yet one in three people lack regular access to adequate food. We believe that addressing rising malnutrition is both an ethical imperative and a tool to address the negative environmental impacts of our food system. Because of the many complex forces affecting our diets, a systems-based approach is the only way to really achieve a transformative shift from empty calories to nutrient-dense foods for all.

Over the next decade, Re:food will help fund a professorship in sustainable science at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Why?

We developed The Re:food circle as a framework defining the boundaries and ethical foundations of a sustainable food system to help guide transformative investments.