‘Investible’ innovations that can solve the billion-dollar global food waste problem

Industrial and emerging countries might differ vastly when it comes to their economic strength and GDPs, but they do share one near-fatal flaw: the tendency to waste food and throw staggeringly huge amounts of it away. This is a common habit regardless of their current financial standing in the world or their respective regions.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says that global powers and developing nations alike waste more than 600 million tonnes of consumable food a year. The amount of wastage has resulted in a problem that costs the U.S. economy $220 billion a year, as referenced by Greenbelt Resources Corp. (OTCMKTS:GRCO). Unbelievable as it sounds, this also translates to about 10 million tons of fresh produce being thrown to the garbage bins every single year.

The Huffington Post raises the stakes to shockingly higher levels. On a global scale, food waste takes a toll on about a third of all the food being produced, to a devastating loss of $165 billion annually. Forbes sounds the alarm by decrying that half of the food provided by the farming, fishing, and other industries all over the planet never reach the plates of the people they had been intended for. Given that the rate of production has increased by 17 percent, this wastage can almost be counted as a crime against humanity.

All these numbers point to one alarming fact: despite the fact that many people all over the world cannot enjoy a decent daily meal, incalculable tons of food sources and products are being wasted and thrown away.

Fortunately, many of the world’s governments as well as private companies have awoken to the problem, and are creating their own solutions to it. The increase in market value also makes these kinds of ventures worthy of a serious investor’s attention, time, and money.

Per the aforementioned report of Forbes, the geniuses in tech hubs like Silicon Valley have raised more than $5.7 billion in capital to come up with innovations designed to remediate the flaws in the food production system, which in turn should reduce the amount of food loss. Other more creative minds have gone further to convert what has been deemed as inevitably disposable food into something more beneficial for the planet.

Here is a preview of these pioneers, located in various parts of the globe, who are out on a mission to convert what is deemed unusable food into vital resources, while turning out a reasonable return on investment for their financiers and backers:

Appel Sciences

As reported by AgFunder News, this biotech startup uses discarded orange peels to extend the shelf lives of other products and continue to make them more marketable, safe, and edible for hundreds of thousands of consumers. The orange-peeled-derived solution applied to fruits and vegetables reduces the amount of water evaporation they undergo. As a result, decomposition is delayed, and these food items remain fresh for a more extended period.

Farmlink

Farmlink is a supply chain company that ensures that the food and vegetables that it helps farmers transport from the farm to the markets and groceries are still fresh and consumable. One of its programs makes the entire process transparent to both producers and customers in real time, showing them where their produce is at any given point. Any inefficiency that can lead to spoilage is immediately spotted and addressed. One benefit that the platform provides the Indian-based farmers is above-industry-standard pricing; this should help increase their profit margin, which in turn should boost their farming efforts and improve their quality and productivity.

Greenbelt Resources Corporation

Greenbelt Resources Corp. (OTCMKTS:GRCO) is a biotech company that converts the wastes from the food and beverage industries into biobased protein concentrate, which have more than the usual amount of nutrients as compared with the regular yeast protein concentrates. As reported by BioFuel News, its technology also recycles the lower forms of wheat, which are usually discarded. They are transformed into animal feed and fertilizers which will then boost the nutrients in farmland soil and help make the plants and produce that grow in it more healthy and abundant.

Another form of conversion results in bio-ethanol fuels which can be primed into becoming alternative sources of energy. The Greenbelt tech will not only reduce wastage, but it can grow vegetables, fruits, and rice to a significant degree while helping to reduce the dangers that fossil fuel and its resultant pollution are posing to the planet.

Another potential market that the company can tap is the medical cannabis industry, especially the producers in California. As noted by Margolin and Lawrence, these cannabis growers are under government mandate to look for ethanol and other forms of biofuel that are safer than the standard, and which will not ignite into flame because of their volatile traits. The ethanol is used to extract the cannabis substance from the actual weeds and transform them into products like soaps and pharmaceutical products. The bio-ethanol fuels offered by Greenbelt converted from waste products, are a more stable alternative.

As part of a recent White House agreement that strengthened ties with Indonesia, Greenbelt is set to build a waste conversion facility in one of its regions, Jababeka. In collaboration with Jababeka Infrastructure, this new venture will transform food waste into animal feed, distilled water, ethanol, and soil fertilizer. Closer to home, the company also intends to work together with Andrew J. Young Foundation to build a bio-ethanol refinery in the southeastern part of the United States. Upon completion, the plant is expected to produce annually half a million gallons of bio-ethanol.

Marine Bio Innovations

Marrone Bio Innovations just may be a farmer’s dream because its solutions increase their crops’ resistance to pests and other diseases while ensuring a plentiful, healthy harvest. It is designed to enhance the quality and yield of farms that are growing a wide range of produce, from fruits, vegetables, nuts, turfgrass, to cotton.

Eco-Business forecasts that food production processes like packaging, ICT, and the supply chain structure will play a huge role in improving food production and curtailing wastage. While the problem may not be solved overnight, these companies are making significant headway and opening up a path for others to follow.