Anheuser-Busch InBev has announced the launch of the 100+ Accelerator, a new initiative targeting partners who are exploring solutions to the world’s sustainability challenges including water stewardship, agricultural productivity, responsible sourcing, green logistics, and product upcycling.
“It’s incumbent on global businesses to play a bigger role in creating a better world for all,” said Tony Milikin, AB InBev’s Chief Sustainability & Procurement Officer. “At AB InBev we have a long-term vision to build a company to last for the next 100+ years, which relies on driving sustainability across our business.”
With input from internal stakeholders and third party experts, AB InBev has developed a list of 10 key challenges to focus on that have been drawn from the basis of the company’s 2025 Sustainability Goals. Designed to have a positive impact on global communities, AB InBev’s website summarizes these Goals as:
~ Smart Agriculture: 100 percent of our direct farmers will be skilled, connected and financially-empowered.
~ Water Stewardship: 100 percent of our communities in high stress areas will have measurably improved water availability and quality.
~ Circular Packaging: 100 percent of our products will be in packaging that is returnable or made from majority recycled content.
~ Climate Action: 100 percent of our purchased electricity will be from renewable sources; and a 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions across our value chain (science-based).
Each cohort of the program will consist of 10 partners with the first round beginning this year. Each partner selected among “academics, entrepreneurs, scientists, and technologists” to participate will each awarded funding of up to $100,000, and will be granted access to new networks and mentorship.
“Our approach is rooted in the communities where we live and work, and we are well positioned to support entrepreneurs who are tackling local challenges,” said Millikin. “Through the 100+ Accelerator, innovators will benefit from our resources, experience and global reach to speed their progress and scale.”
Every cohort will begin with a pilot sprint for each participant in order to “validate product-market fit”, states the company. This phase will be followed by a structured curriculum that will be centered on integrating with a large corporate entity and best practices for scaling, with insight gained from AB InBev’s existing global incubator, ZX Ventures.
The Name of the Game
Sustainability has become a key factor for global food companies looking to gain and maintain traction with today’s more connected and informed consumers. A few examples of the actions being taken by some of the world’s largest food and ag companies include:
In 2015, DuPont announced a range of sustainability goals through 2020 that include a reduction of the group’s environmental footprint and funding for the advancement of sustainable food innovations.
At the time, the company aimed to reduce its non-renewable energy use per adjusted dollar of revenue by 10 percent; reduce its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by seven percent; to enact water mitigation measures across its sites in high-risk water regions, and to instill waste goals at each company facility that are “appropriate to its operation” by 2020.
In April of this year, Tyson announced a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020, and committed to improving environmental practices on two million acres of farmland – the largest-ever land stewardship commitment made by a U.S.-based protein company.
“The world needs a more sustainable food system, and we believe it’s up to big companies like ours to set the pace with bold goals that help protect the planet while also enabling us to feed a growing world,” said Tyson CEO Tom Hayes. “We look forward to collaborating with grain farmers, environmental groups and others as we implement this new initiative.”
Land O’Lakes is also targeting sustainability through SUSTAIN, a partnership between farmers, companies, and Land O’Lakes that is farmer-focused, farmer-driven, and that “aligns and harmonizes on-farm conservation and company-led sustainability target to maximize the positive impact we can have on the environment,” according to the LOL SUSTAIN website.
At the beginning of this month, Land O’Lakes announced a deal conducted through SUSTAIN to acquire 100 percent of the assets of Agren Inc., a software company that provides soil health and conservation planning software.
“This acquisition bolsters our goal at Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN to be industry leaders in conservation stewardship and sustainability, helping ensure Land O’Lakes and the farmers we serve can lead the way on stewardship using the latest technology in our industry,” said Matt Carstens, senior vice president of Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN.
“By strategically designing conservation practices and visualizing results using these innovative tools, retailers and farmers can maximize conservation benefits while keeping productive land in farming. It’s one more way Land O’Lakes is leading in the conservation arena.”
-Lynda Kiernan