Originally a Meetup group for those in the food community to connect and share resources, Branchfood has evolved into New England’s largest community of food entrepreneurs and innovators. Through our active network, industry expertise, and curated resources, we connect industry leaders with innovative entrepreneurs, supporting the collective effort to build a better, healthier, more environmentally friendly and equitable future for food.

As leaders in the food innovation space, the Branchfood team weighed in on one of the biggest and pertinent questions in the food industry: what is one food trend that you’re excited about?

Lauren Abda, Founder

Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about the impact and pressure COVID has brought on the food system that will have lasting change. Pressure on food production and distribution along with the growing worldwide population, changing climate, and the need for countries to grow their own food to complement trade agreements, is accelerating the adoption of new ways of growing food at a rate we’ve never seen before. One company making strides to this end is Evergreens, a Branchfood member company that recently won a competition hosted by Retail Business Services, the services company of Ahold Delhaize USA, through its supply chain innovation pitch competition. While this growing method has been around for years, we’re starting to see serious uptake worldwide and as worthy alternative to land-based agriculture.

Carole Sioufi, Market Research Analyst

One trend that I’m really excited about is Food as Medicine. Obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease in the US causing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes, and some types of cancer. Between 2017 and 2018, 42.4% of adults in the US were obese, many of whom were people of color or living in food deserts or swamps. Food has the power to treat obesity, not least to prevent the diseases it causes in the first place. Yet the limited access to food within underserved communities undermines this power. I believe that innovations such as cellular agriculture and vertical farming, once commercially viable and equally distributed, will increase access to healthy food and truly unlock the power of Food as Medicine. Those innovations, which are gaining tremendous traction nowadays, combined with educational tools, efficient healthcare policies, and strategies designed to empower underserved communities will help us overcome the barriers to healthy eating and achieve healthier lifestyles.

Shannon Fitzgerald, Digital Marketing and Social Media

I am particularly excited about the better-for-you food and beverage trend. Especially due to the pandemic, consumers are looking to the food industry for clean labels, increased immunity, and bettering their mental health. With brands like PepsiCo releasing a functional beverage and Molson Coors launching a new line of non-alcoholic beverages, it is evident that the big players are aware of this trend and see it as an opportunity for involvement and growth. This is a very consumer-dependent trend, and an exciting one at that — I foresee it lasting in the post-pandemic new normal and I look forward to watching this trend evolve over time.

Madeline Dixon, Finance Intern

Food finance: alternative protein investment. Even in such an unpredictable year more broadly, there’s a lot of momentum in this space. Some of this is being driven by the unprecedented success of major players, such as Beyond Meat, as well as a rising awareness on the consumer end of the environmental impact of traditional proteins. By FAIRR’s estimate, the first seven months of 2020 saw more than $1.4 billion in venture investment directed to alternative meat startups. No doubt this will be an exciting space to keep watching!

Natasha Mendelsohn, Community Development Lead

Last year, I tried something new: I stopped buying meat at the grocery store. I didn’t stop eating meat entirely, but I did try adopting the “flexitarian” lifestyle that’s grown in popularity in recent years . There are plenty of reasons people are choosing to eat less meat: animal welfare, personal health, reducing grocery bills. Personally, I was concerned about the huge environmental impact of the meat industry. Flexitarianism won’t solve climate change, but it does make me feel better about reducing my methane footprint. It’s also easier than ever to find meat alternatives — in 2019, the plant-based food market was valued at $4.5 billion, rising 31% over the last two years. Further, 70% of consumers report that they try to limit how much meat they consume. Consumers may not be giving up meat altogether, but it will certainly be interesting to see how these trends end up impacting our climate. And the one great thing that flexitarianism has done for me? I realized that I love tofu!

Want to learn more about Branchfood? Check out our upcoming events, membership, and follow us on social media!