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Collaboration at the heart of a sustainable food futureCollaboration at the heart of a sustainable food future

Collaborations between startups, corporates, and consumers will be a driving force in the future of sustainable food innovation, say experts from Unilever, Rabobank, and the consultancy FutureBridge.

Tessa Wiles, Content Editor

January 31, 2025

4 Min Read
Collaboration at the heart of a sustainable food future
© Informa Markets

The publisher of Fi Global Insights, Informa Markets' Food and Nutrition portfolio, partnered with FoodHack – a global community of entrepreneurs, investors, and foodtech enthusiasts focused on boosting innovation in food, tech, and climate – to co-host a FoodHack meet-up in Informa Markets' Amsterdam office.

As part of this meet-up, specialists with expertise in food innovation, technology, and strategy took to the stage to share their perspectives on the key ingredients needed to drive change in the industry and promote sustainable solutions.

Sustainability, scalability, and profitability can work hand in hand

Jeen Nijboer, senior strategist of global food and agri strategy and positioning at Rabobank, explained that sustainability is a collective responsibility across the food value chain. Whether a startup or a multi-national company, the challenge of creating a sustainable future is a joint effort.

Nijboer explained that on the company level, there is a “triangle of risk” or a balancing act between sustainability, scalability, and profitability. He believes that profitability and sustainability “will never hurt each other” and that sustainability can enhance profitability –  however, this is something that is often realised in the long term. While the immediate effects of investing in sustainability are not always visible, Nijboer noted the investment does position a company more favourably in the market going forward.

Jaideep Raje, senior vice-president of customer innovation and products at consulting and advisory company FutureBridge, agreed with Nijboer, but added that companies also need to integrate sustainability into their profit stories as a way to appeal to both partners and stakeholders.

Raje explained that companies could achieve this through various means. Circular economies are one such way – for example, turning waste into high-value ingredients, which reduces waste management costs while creating additional – or new – revenue streams.

Regulations and incentives as the catalyst for positive change

Regulatory frameworks are, in part, driving sustainability in the food system.

The mandatory nature and enforcement of these frameworks from both governments and international bodies put pressure on corporations to account for their environmental and social impacts. These regulations may act as the catalyst for companies to rethink, and then integrate sustainability into their business models, and/or align their business goals with social and environmental priorities.

Nijboer touched on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) as a key part of this change – an EU law requiring large companies to disclose information on risks and opportunities they view arising from social and environmental issues and the impact of their activities on people and the environment.

These kinds of regulations not only create accountability for large companies but also drive companies to adopt sustainable innovations and practices to stay competitive.

Raje explained that governments across the world are also making “value judgements” to back certain types of innovations and technologies. Therefore, companies that align with regional priorities may be able to access pilot funding to scale their technologies more easily.

“For example, in the Middle East, there is a lot of regulatory push to back controlled-environment vertical farming, things of that variety,” Raje said.

Shifts in R&D: Outsourcing innovation

When it comes to R&D, larger companies are going back to the drawing board, Raje said. He explained that bigger companies traditionally relied on in-house R&D to create new products. This approach, however, means researchers are working in isolation, or “innovation silos”, and in a rapidly changing market, this siloed work is often ineffective.

Instead, Raje explained how corporates are increasingly understanding the value of outsourcing and collaborating with smaller companies across the food value chain.

“These types of partnerships help corporates access capabilities that they don't have in house and probably don't want to invest time in building,” Raje said, adding that, in doing so, corporates can access new markets and technologies in more efficient ways.

Marcelo Oliveira, head of food technology for dry scratch cooking at Unilever Netherlands, pointed to the collaboration between Impossible Foods and Burger King to launch the Impossible Whopper as an example of a successful partnership. Oliveira explained that the partnership allowed Impossible Foods to reach the mass market, enabling consumers to experiment with plant-based options in a familiar setting and with a familiar format.

Oliveira also discussed the partnership between meat and alt-dairy company TheNotCompany (NotCo) and Kraft Heinz, which, he said, “shook up the industry”. NotCo, Oliveira explained, had initially positioned itself as an innovator that challenged the traditional food industry with its plant-based offerings. The collaboration was unexpected because it appeared to go against this stance.

He explained how companies may appear ideologically opposed, but there are ways they can collaborate and benefit from each other’s strengths. In this example, NotCo leveraged Kraft Heinz’s food production and distribution expertise, and Kraft Heinz benefited from NotCo’s innovative technology – in particular, its AI platform, Giuseppe.

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About the Author

Tessa Wiles

Content Editor, Informa Markets

Tessa Wiles is a content editor for Ingredients Network, Food Ingredients Global Insights, and Vitafoods Insights. She writes about food and ingredient innovations, product development, R&D, nutraceuticals, consumer trends, and more.

Always looking for industry insights, Tessa invites connections to explore the latest developments in the food and beverage sector.

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