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Demand for lean, green meat drives investment in cattle sector

By Daneka Hill

Mar 12, 2021

For more than a decade cropping has been one of the only agricultural sectors benefiting from investor-driven innovation.

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Now a new report from Rabobank has found beef is starting to get a look in on the millions being spent by entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and established agri-companies.

Rabobank senior animal proteins analyst Angus Gidley-Baird said heightened “societal concerns” about the environment were motivating leading companies to invest heavily in animal protein research.

“When the food and agribusiness sector started attracting the interest of venture capital about a decade ago, most investments were made in cropping,” Mr Gidley-Baird said.

“There are now signs investor interest is shifting a little towards animal protein and the focus on and opportunities for innovation in larger livestock supply chains is increasing,” Mr Gidley-Baird said.

“This focus on sustainability is not only driving new production improvements in the industry, it is also seeing wider community interest in the sustainable qualities of produce, which is in itself generating further investor interest.”

Areas where innovation is expected to have big flow-on impacts are: more feed-efficient cattle genetics; low-methane feed additives; wearable devices for livestock; and better landscape management methods.