NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, March 31, 2014

1. BEYOND MEAT

For rerouting agriculture’s environmental impact. Meat production, which results in copious greenhouse gases, is expected to double by 2050. But Beyond Meat has created a meat alternative good enough to tempt devout carnivores. It aligns soy and pea proteins so they mimic meaty texture, without antibiotics, hormones, or transfats. Its “chicken” strips and taco “beef ” crumble hit the market last year. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) named Beyond Meat its company of the year, and investors such as Bill Gates, Kleiner Perkins, and the Humane Society have signed on.

2. BRIGHTFARMS

For pulling gas-belching 18-wheelers off the road. BrightFarms works with the big grocers to harvest lettuce, tomatoes, and herbs on-site (or nearby) in large hydroponic greenhouses. This has resulted in cutting transportation costs and waste, lowering prices, and adding days to the shelf life of perishable foods. Among the greenhouses scheduled to open this year is a 100,000-square-foot rooftop farm–the largest in the world–in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park. It should produce 1 million pounds of produce a year.