Water Cycles Series Launches
The first two episodes of Water Cycles Series podcasts launched in July on Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food. The series, supported by The Nest, covers topics related to the role of water vapor in climate change and our responsibility as the earth’s keystone species to restore the water cycle’s life-giving balance.
Episode one features an interview with Neal Spackman, founder & CEO of Regenerative Resources Co, on funding barriers for his RSA Regenerative Seawater Agriculture project and the importance of mangrove restoration.
Episode two asks a compelling question, “What if water is more important than carbon?” Physicist and writer of the Climate Water Project, Alpha Lo explains the importance of slowing water down, the connection between drought, fire, and floods ,and the massive role water plays in heating and cooling our planet.
Real Deals Highlights Women-led Blume Equity
Real Deals recently profiled Blume Equity’s outstanding leadership team, Eleanor Blagbrough, Michelle Capiod, and Clare Murray. Blume is one of few private equity firms that has 100 percent woman-ownership and leadership.
The article discusses the firm’s three-prong investment strategy that focuses on the climate and sustainable technology sectors. Their key to success includes identifying investments at the growth stage where there is a critical funding gap, investing in companies that combine strong financial returns with impact, and staying true to Blume Equity’s “integrated profit with purpose” approach.
Astanor Releases Latest Impact Report
Astanor reaffirmed its position as a global leader in Impact Investing with the release of its latest impact report. The report shares insights from Astanor’s investments of 430 million euros in 2022, with six new venture investments bringing their total portfolio to 44 companies. A snapshot of the firm’s 2022 impact provides impact data for 25,000 metric tons of CO2ein avoided greenhouse gas emissions, one million hectares of avoided land use, and 1.8 million cubic meters of water use savings.
The report includes an in-depth of Astanor’s key performance indicators (KPIs) and how the firm’s portfolio aligns to each KPI in addition to case studies on The Nest investments Ynsect and Monarch. Download Astanor’s Impact Creation Report 2022 here.
Buoyant Ventures Publishes Market Map of Digital Agrifood and Climate Solutions
Buoyant Ventures latest post provides an overview of the complexity of the food system and its relationship to the current climate challenges. The article breaks down the complex topic, providing clear infographics including a map of early-stage opportunities that address climate risk for the agrifood sector.
Read the post to learn why the climate challenge is so difficult to address for a sector that is responsible for nearly one-third of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the scale of action required, and why the value chain players that generate the most GHG emissions are least able to fund solutions.
The article details the potential for digital solutions for everything from resilient soils and supply chains to the using data to de-risk transitioning agriculture to climate-smart practices. The digital agrifood and climate solutions map provides a great overview of early-stage opportunities by category type, and the climate risk addressed.
Farm for Good Featured in L’Echo
Belgian media L’Echo recently featured the partnership of Dandoy, Bister, Copains and Les Tartes de Françoise with the Farm for Good farmer network. The partnership will collaborate to develop quality local products at affordable prices, all while preserving agricultural land. All four food partners have committed to ordering an annual production volume.
The Farm for Good cooperative is officially launched in July, with a 1.8 million euro raise from public and private investors. The Farm for Good network includes 35 Walloon farms committed to regenerative agriculture practices.
(French, Free account set up required).
Opportunities
Interested in being part of the food and agriculture solution? Our portfolio has a growing need for talented team members. ReelData AI currently has an opportunity for a Senior Software Engineer.
From the Farm
Regenerative farming practices include integration of livestock and crop production. This type of circular production takes place at Domaine de Graux as the Black Angus cattle are grazed rotationally. Managed grazing helps increase soil carbon stock and crop productivity. In turn, the rye being harvested now will feed the cattle during winter.
