Over the years, the food industry has focused primarily on commercial success. However, innovation in the sector has proliferated and has been moving towards a new type of food where sustainability and improving people’s health are at the core of everything, changing the way we produce, prepare and distribute the products we consume. So, with many new ideas now being tested in the market, global venture capital investment in food technology and innovation start-ups increased some 40-fold, from 670 million dollar in 2012 to 26.9 billion dollars in 2022. 

It is a fact that global food markets are struggling to meet our food needs; diet-related diseases are on the rise; and the devastating environmental effects of unsustainable farming, livestock and agricultural processes, manufacturing and production, coupled with structural changes in global consumption habits, are becoming evident. We not only want to know more about what we eat, but also where it comes from. As investors, we have the opportunity to proactively leverage technology to transform and improve the environment we inhabit. 

The BBVA New Gen investment catalog offers a wide selection of stocks, funds and ETFs that offer great opportunities around innovation in this area. Don’t miss it!

Heat map of food technology and innovation trends

Source: Nesta