According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the world is able to produce sufficient food for all 7.674 billion inhabitants on the planet. Nonetheless, in 2020, 720-811 million people still went to bed hungry. This number increased by up to 161 million people from 2019 as a result of the pandemic.

Global hunger has been particularly on the rise since 2014, with currently 25.9% of the world’s population affected by moderate or severe food insecurity. SDG 2 aims to end hunger for all people and ensure sufficient food all year round by 2030. – however, we do not seem on track for meeting this target. So, why is it that so many people suffer from hunger when we are able to provide food for everybody?

There are many reasons for the persisting hunger in the world. For one thing, there is a strong correlation with poverty, which stems from social, political and economic factors. Other factors include wars and conflicts that lead to instability and cause famines. Another major impactor is the weather. It sounds simple: If there is no rain, there will be no grain.

Fortunately, many organizations are fighting world hunger, sparking hopes that the 2030 target can still be met. Furthermore, sustainable consumption trends, such as becoming vegetarian or even vegan may also present a solution for the future. As mentioned in our company spotlight on Beyond Meat, 70% of agricultural land is used for animal grazing. This land usage could be reduced by eating less meat – but is there a more obvious idea for innovation in farming that might solve world hunger?

In fact, there is: vertical farming Through it, crops are stacked in several vertical layers with an artificially controlled environment. One thing that has become clear after the pandemic is that food chain safety needs improvement – and vertical farming could be one solution. Not only can the land be used more efficiently, but it also allows individuals to select and freshly picked fruits and vegetables on-site when they are needed.

For example, salads, basil or mint could be grown locally on-site in supermarkets, schools, restaurants, or basically wherever and whenever consumers want fresh products. Fresh produce can then end up on our plates minutes later!

But who comes up with all these ideas … and who funds them? Oftentimes, it is the startup sector, composed of the most innovative and brilliant entrepreneurial minds that brings these inventions to light. As these companies are usually quite small and associated with a large business risk, they rely on risk capital such as Venture Capital for funding.