The global demand for protein can be met sustainably through enhanced land-based farming and aquaculture without further land-use change. Land-based farming has improved through rational intensification, while ocean-based farming offers high-quality protein and can expand through aquaculture. Sustainable practices are certified by organizations like GSSI and BAP. Challenges such as the need for fishmeal are being addressed by land-based crops like soybeans and genetically engineered oilseed plants. Yield10 Bioscience is working to commercialize these solutions, which align with regenerative agriculture principles.

The agricultural sector is increasingly focusing on traceability, driven by social justice, illegal fishing, food safety, sustainability, and climate action. The US cotton industry has made strides in sustainability and traceability with the Cotton Trust Protocol. The seafood industry is combating illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing through the Global Dialog on Seafood Traceability. The produce industry is preparing for new FDA regulations to enhance safety and traceability. The USDA is funding projects for climate-smart commodities, which require identity preservation and traceability. Wiliot's ambient IoT technology offers a new solution for traceability, potentially impacting food safety and waste prevention.

Divert, a company based in Concord, Massachusetts, is addressing food waste by converting it into carbon negative renewable energy. They have developed anaerobic digestion facilities, such as the one in Compton, California, to process wasted food from retail stores into methane, which is then used as a low carbon natural gas alternative. Divert has partnered with Kroger and recently announced a $1 billion infrastructure development agreement with Enbridge Inc., aiming to expand their digester capacity tenfold and offset 400,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. They also secured $80 million in growth equity from Enbridge and $20 million from Ara Partners. Divert's business model includes reverse logistics and IOT tracking to optimize waste management and provide valuable data for ESG reporting. A recent 10-year offtake agreement with bp, worth $175 million, highlights the potential of energy generated from wasted food.

The US soybean industry, traditionally focused on commodity crops, is seeing opportunities for diversification and increased value through companies like Benson Hill. Benson Hill has developed non-GMO specialty soybean varieties that cater to specific end-uses, such as high oleic/low linoleic acid oil content for healthier human food and high protein content for aquaculture feed, reducing the carbon and water footprints of final products. A partnership with Danish company BioMar aims to optimize these soybeans for aquaculture, providing a sustainable alternative to fish meal for the global salmon and trout industries.

Okeanos, a start-up, introduced a solution at COP27 to reduce the carbon footprint of plastics by replacing a significant portion of petrochemical-based resin with a proprietary formulation of calcium carbonate. This method, branded as 'Made from Stone™,' can reduce the carbon footprint of an item by over 50% and cut the use of virgin plastic by more than half. The technology, which is compatible with existing manufacturing equipment, was co-founded by Florencio Cuétara and Dr. Russ Petrie, who were motivated by environmental concerns. Okeanos aims to replace 25 thousand tons of petrochemical resins per month by the end of 2023 and 2.5 million metric tons per year by 2025, with the ultimate goal of removing 1 gigaton of CO2 from the plastics manufacturing process.

A Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Glendale, Arizona, brought together stakeholders to discuss agricultural sustainability amid the global population reaching 8 billion and the COP27 Climate Summit. Co-sponsored by Field To Market and the Innovation Center for US Dairy, the event focused on climate change adaptation, water limitations, next-generation farmer support, sustainable practices, and communication with the public. The Dairy Sustainability Alliance also met, discussing carbon neutrality by 2050 and methane reduction. The concept of regenerative agriculture was debated, seeking alignment with sustainability metrics. Economist Dan Basse closed the summit, addressing the 'great economic reset' and 'heatflation' affecting crops. Despite challenges, the summit maintained an optimistic tone, emphasizing the importance of sustainability for people, the planet, and business profitability.

Vanguard Renewables has developed a business model that utilizes anaerobic digestion technology to convert waste from farm animals and inedible food waste into renewable natural gas. This process is carbon negative and helps decarbonize the energy supply. The company, founded by John Hanselman in 2014, partners with dairy farms to build digesters that process manure and organic waste, producing methane and a nutrient-rich digestate. Farmers receive lease income, bedding, and fertilizer without upfront costs. Vanguard has contracted with 150 dairy farms and has processed over 1.7 million tons of organic waste, with BlackRock Real Assets recently funding their expansion.

rePurpose Global, founded in 2019 by Peter Wang Hjemdahl, Svanika Balasubramanian, and Aditya Siroya, is addressing the global plastic waste crisis by offering consumer packaged goods companies a way to offset their plastic footprint. The company provides plastic credits, analogous to carbon credits, which represent the collection of plastic waste that would otherwise pollute the environment. rePurpose Global focuses on building infrastructure for sorting, processing, and recycling plastics, especially in areas lacking such facilities. They also fund projects that transform unrecyclable plastics into useful materials, such as 'eco wood' for public utilities. The initiative has a positive impact on the lives of marginalized waste workers and supports social enterprises globally, with rePurpose currently recovering over fourteen million pounds of plastic annually and 250 brands participating in their system.