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Sustainable Food

We invest in

Feeding the future

Feeding a growing global population while protecting our planet’s resources is one of the great challenges and opportunities of our time. Today, we waste a third of all food produced, while demand shifts toward more carbon-intensive diets, putting pressure on land, water, and biodiversity.

But innovation is reshaping the future of food. A wave of companies is rising to meet these challenges, offering sustainable solutions across areas such as aquaculture, food waste and safety, alternative proteins and ingredients and next-generation agriculture. As global demand for sustainable food accelerates, these companies are not just helping the planet, importantly they are opening compelling opportunities for growth and investment.

Sub themes

Sustainable aquaculture, Food waste and safety, Alternative proteins & ingredients and Next-gen agriculture & enabling systems

Theme lead

Martin Gjølme
martin.gjolme@summaequity.com

Current investments

5

Exited investments

1

Investment range

EUR 80m – EUR 150m

SDG alignments

1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14

What are the challenges

Planetary boundaries

7 of 9 planetary boundaries crossed

Seven out of the nine planetary boundaries have been transgressed and the global food system is the driver of five of these seven breaches

Growing population

10bn people by 2050

55% more calories is needed

Due to a growing population, ~55% more calories need to be produced in 2050 compared to 2010

Diet-related diseases

3.0x the dollar cost of food is the real societal cost

50% of deaths are related to obesity and other NCDs

Current diets are low in nutritional value, driven by a toxic food production and consumption of ultra-processed foods

Food waste

30% of food is wasted annually after harvest

Food waste makes up 30% of all food produced is either lost or wasted

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What are the solutions

Enabling resilience in aquaculture

Support a more efficient and environmentally responsible aquaculture sector that helps meet growing global demand for healthy protein while safeguarding ocean health

Reducing food waste & enabling food safety

Target solutions and business models that prevent, reduce, or redistribute food waste across the value chain – from production to consumption

Scaling sustainable protein

Invest in scalable plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated protein solutions that reduce environmental impact and meet demand for more sustainable diets

Driving resilient and resource- efficient food production

Promote technologies that increase productivity, reduce emissions, and enable more efficient and resilient farming systems to feed a growing global population within planetary boundaries

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Investments in this theme

Latest readings

From toxic to thriving: Europe’s water health at a breaking point

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Summa Equity acquires Peoplesafe, a leading workforce safety provider

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Holdbart and Summa Foundation donate NOK 2 million to support food access in Norway

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Securing the backbone of the digital economy: strengthening cybersecurity for SMEs

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Does your company solve global challenges?

Summa is always on the lookout for innovative organizations that are tackling global challenges and making a positive impact on the world. We are always interested in connecting with like-minded individuals and companies who share our passion for creating a sustainable future.