In late June, we argued that a reshaping appeared to be taking place in the sports and energy drink business following the end of the distribution deal between PepsiCo and Bang and reported M&A talks between Monster Beverage and Constellation Brands, a few months after Coca-Cola‘s acquisition of BodyArmor, at a $6.6 billion valuation. We…
Back in 2020, plant-based foods and beverages were all the rage, growing 45% year-on-year as consumers shifted their eating habits during the pandemic toward natural and organic products that are perceived as healthy. Two years on, it’s a very different story: the industry’s growth momentum has stalled to just 6% in 2021 and further deceleration…
Fertilizer names are currently a source of relative resilience in our Food Revolution portfolio as they ride an exceptional environment (strong farming demand, major supply disruptions) to deliver impressive quarterly figures and/or guidance. Nutrien and CF Industries just reported +64% and +173% Q1 revenue growth, respectively, and EBITDA up 3x or 4x the level achieved…
Agriculture machinery makers put a lot of efforts last year in developing their digital capabilities and autonomous driving technology, as illustrated notably by CNH’s takeover of Raven Industries for $2.1 billion and Deere’s purchase for $250 million of Bear Flag Robotics. These initiatives seem to be bearing fruit as Deere unveiled last week, during the Consumer Electronics Show…
The increasing climate change awareness over the last years, from both governments and consumers, has resulted in the fight to eradicate greenhouse gases becoming a global priority. As approximately one-third of CO2 emissions are attributed to agriculture, the sector has come under the spotlight to implement changes in the way it produces food. Among various…
On August 3rd, California water regulators voted a water restriction impacting thousands of farmers in the Sacramento and San Joaquin watersheds. Permission is now required to divert more than 55 gallons of water per day from rivers or streams. This (ridiculously low) limit further illustrates one of the worst droughts in California, which is in…
If nothing is done, there will be more plastics in the ocean than fish by 2050 according to the World Economic Forum. As a result, regulators and consumers alike are developing an increased awareness towards the issue of microplastic pollution that humans drink, eat and breathe. Accordingly, the packaging industry is set to undergo radical…
Leading agriculture machinery maker CNH announced yesterday the takeover of Raven Industries, a portfolio company, for $2.1bn including debt. Raven is mainly known for its precision agriculture and autonomy technology with a range of products covering machinery guidance & steering, field computers and data management. Raven is also active in two other businesses (engineered films and…
While it was already on an upward trajectory, consumption of plant proteins recorded a pandemic-related acceleration in 2020 with U.S. retail plant-based foods growing 27% to $7 billion and plant-based meat 45% to $1.4 billion. Consumption continued to be driven by rising awareness to natural organic foods which are perceived as healthier. As many meat…
The roller-coaster ride is set to continue for Beyond Meat, one of our largest Food Revolution positions, with significant disappointment and confusion last night following the company’s Q3 earnings report and McDonald’s announcement of its MacPlant burger (initial perception was that McDonald’s would develop plant-based burgers on its own). Even if we understand the short-term reaction,…