In this episode of In With the New, Avril speaks with Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest, about inefficiencies in the current food production system and the need for a more sustainable approach.
40 minutes | Oct. 4, 2023
Elysabeth Alfano is an investor, consultant, and CEO and Co-founder of VegTech Invest, which invests in companies innovating with plants and plant-derived ingredients to make animal-free products, thus helping to address climate change. In this episode, Elysabeth explains the impact animal agriculture has on the planet and what people can do to move towards more environmentally friendly options.
Meat production requires a lot of land, water and time. Every year, the earth’s population grows larger but the amount of available land and water resources stays the same. 77% of land is used to grow crops that are then used to feed animals for meat production; this is a more inefficient use of land than simply growing crops for human consumption.
Elysabeth speaks to how businesses can help in making the shift towards plant-based innovation and alternative proteins. Investing in plant-based innovation can be challenging as the conventional food industry is profitable and transforming it is an uphill battle. It will take a push from the consumer to really change the mindset of the industry.
Elysabeth acknowledges the fact that many consumers might not be invested in this shift. But for those who are, she has introduced EATV, the VegTech Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, through which people can support growth in the plant-based sector. Consumers can buy this ETF on the public market through apps like WealthSimple or QuestTrade. With this, people can buy as little as 10 or 20 shares of the fund and participate in the plant-based food trend.
Ultimately, this is what Elysabeth says we need to solve: we need to feed a growing population, more nutritiously, in a shorter amount of time, using fewer resources, while creating less environmental damage.
The change involves all of us: the consumer, the government and the industry working together to create a better future for food production.
Take a listen!
1:54 The environmental consequences of meat production
7:48 The definition of plant-based innovation
11:09 Challenges of replacing meat with plant-based alternatives
26:01 Highlighting the planet as a stakeholder
30:24 Investing in plant-based innovation
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