Why I Started a Food Innovation ETF: From Personal Conviction to Growth Investing

Jun 4, 2025 8:05 AM ET

by Elysabeth Alfano, VegTech Invest

Where there is inefficiency in the market, there is innovation. Thus, I saw a massive investment opportunity in food system transformation, a total addressable market estimated at $9 trillion to $14 trillion. Investing in companies pioneering sustainable food solutions isn’t just ethical — it is financially sound. The U.S. DoD is now allocating significant funds to food innovation as a matter of national security, a strong market indicator that more global investment is to come and that de-risking these innovations from government is highly likely.

Further, the World Bank projects that $450 billion to $650 billion will need to be invested annually in food system transformation over the next decade, a massive opportunity for investors. As far as impact, The Boston Consulting Group found that investing in diversified proteins was up to 40 times more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions than investments in other green technologies.

I want to invest in the companies large enough to drive real impact, with the supply chain infrastructure to transform the global food system. Since no ETF met these criteria, I considered building one myself. This became a reality when I met my VegTech™ Invest business partner and Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Sasha Goodman who, for the same business reasons, had also been on a path to investing in food system transformation in the public markets. This serendipity is how our food innovation ETF was born. Today, our ETF is the first US thematic to focus on sustainable food system transformation, investing in companies leading the way toward a resilient food future.

Read Elysabeth's full article here - https://greenmoney.com/why-i-started-a-food-innovation-etf-a-journey-from-personal-conviction-to-growth-investing

====