800000

Tonnes of CO2 Reduced

while making US apples available year-round

3500

Direct Customers

are served by Agrofresh worldwide

3.7

Million Tonnes of Apples

have been sold fresh rather than being processed thanks to Agrofresh solutions

View Our Analysis

The Path to Drawdown: Food Waste

Raising and preparing food is resource intensive - it takes water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, transportation, and financial capital to make it happen. When food is wasted, either in transit, grocery stores, restaurants, or households, those resources are also wasted. In fact, somewhere between 30-40% of the food raised or prepared never makes it to people's mouths.

Food waste accounts for 4.4 gigatons of greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere, or roughly 8% of total human-caused emissions. In low-income countries, food waste happens because of poor storage conditions, inadequate equipment or packaging, and a combination of heat and humidity. In higher-income countries, most of the food waste happens further down the supply chain: retailers reject food based on their aesthetic appearance or consumers overestimate how much food they will cook in a week.

There are ample solutions to food waste. Things as simple as using improved storage bags, silos or crates during transit can make a difference early in the supply chain. At the retail and consumer levels, setting food waste targets, generating public awareness about the issue, and changing consumer behavior toward food would greatly reduce waste.

Project Drawdown estimates that if these solutions are aggressively pursued, we can cut 101.7 gigatons of greenhouse gases from food waste between now and 2050.

What We Want to See Improve

Disclose Sustainability Metrics

We believe AgroFresh's solutions are contributing to a valuable Drawdown solution of reducing food waste. But we also like to see their own carbon footprint. How many greenhouse gas emissions are they responsible for? What are the sources of their energy use? This information should be readily available to investors and other stakeholders.

Set Emissions Reduction Targets

We also want to see AgroFresh committing to reducing their own GHG emissions. They should publish an annual sustainability report that outlines steps toward zero-emissions in the next few decades.

Borrow from Clean Banks

AgroFresh has a credit agreement with the Bank of Montreal. But unfortunately the Bank of Montreal is ranked 16th (p. 13) among banks worldwide that funds fossil fuel companies, having invested over $97 billion in dirty companies between 2016-2020. We urge AgroFresh to seek out banks that, in principle, do not finance companies in high-emitting sectors.

Related Food Waste Stocks in the Climate Index

View All Climate Index Stocks →

Allocated Company Description

0.02%

AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (AGFS)

Agrofresh sells products like packaging solutions that extend the shelf life of food, preventing food waste from the spoilage of produce.

0.02%

Save Foods, Inc. (SVFD)

SVFD offers solutions that can extend the freshness and shelf life of fruits and vegetables. By reducing food waste, they’re helping cut methane emissions

Attend Our Next Webinar

Attend Our Next Webinar

Join our next Sustainable Investing 101 webinar, get our favorite DIY options, and walk through how we build our portfolios.

Watch Now
Get Our Newsletter

Get Our Newsletter

Go a level deeper with us and investigate the potential impacts of climate change on investments like your retirement account.

Talk To A Human

Talk To A Human

Joining a new investment service can be intimidating. We’re here for you. Click below to email us a question or book a quick call.

Ask a Question