Food fight: agriculture's environmental quandary

The global food system needs to adapt in the light of environmental and human health crises. And as it evolves, investors can expect three types of opportunities to emerge. First, given the immense pressure caused by food production on the environment, a huge opportunity exists for companies that contribute to improving sustainability of food production and food systems, from farm to fork. Precision farming, animal and plant health products and food waste solutions are seeing strong growth.

Second is growing demand for healthier foods. Science and technology have driven improved awareness of the impact of poor diets on health. Policymakers are introducing measures that demand reformulations of food and drink products to reduce levels of sugar, salt and saturated fats; consumers, meanwhile, are turning towards foods and supplements with functional benefits such as improving immunity.

Finally, advances in technology are opening up new investible opportunities in food-related e-commerce, personalised nutrition, and food traceability.