The war in Ukraine has put food security on everybody’s lips and rising food prices shine a light on the fragility of today’s food systems. But also beyond the war, there are considerable challenges to sustainable development that arise from food production: 31% of the world’s greenhouse gases are generated by food production, and 40% of fruits and vegetables are wasted each year globally.
Responsible for around 10% of global food production Brazilian agribusiness plays a significant role in today’s food system. A full quarter of the Brazilian GDP is made from food production and while the number of investments in food technology tripled between 2015 and 2018 globally, the whole South American continent, accounted for only 5% of these investments.
Brazilian agriculture has so far focused mainly on increasing scale and lowering production costs. However, it is essential to expand and optimize the quality and shelf life of food products, reduce the use of common pesticides and develop the biopesticides economy. This area is growing and will generate significant business opportunities, to meet international regulatory standards and align with national consumer awareness.
Other movements are also gaining maturity in Brazil. From tax reduction for alternative dairy production, programs to promote family agriculture, and local entrepreneurship, to the alliance of different actors to build strong agtech and foodtech ecosystems, the panorama is shifting.
Large meat producers like JBS and BRF are codeveloping and investing in foodtech startups in Brazil and around the world
Malin Borg
Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA), together with the Food Tech Hub Latam, launched the National Plan for Alternative Proteins, with the vision that in order to remain a viable and relevant protein producer, Brazil needs to develop and offer alternative protein sources. Large meat producers like JBS and BRF are codeveloping and investing in foodfech startups in Brazil and around the world.
This is also where Switzerland can make its mark. The Swiss startup OneSoil is partnering with Brazilian specialists and producers to offer precision farming technologies to monitor crops increase yields, and reduce seeds and fertilizers costs. Agrinorm, a Swiss-based deep-tech startup that develops technology that optimizes the fruit and vegetable supply chain, is in process of validating the Brazilian market, and in a country with large metropoles like São Paulo, urban farming techniques such as solutions proposed by Fruitful Farming or Légumes Perchés have big potential for success.
By identifying the opportunities from this systemic superpower, Swiss players are well-positioned to make a difference toward a sustainable future for food in Brazil and the world.
The French version of this article is available here.
