A group of investors with trillions of US dollars in assets is urging major food companies to divest from animal products in order to safeguard food supply chains and combat climate change. The FAIRR Initiative, a collaborative investor network, recently released a report calling for protein diversification and increased investment in plant-based foods to enhance affordability and sustainability in the food sector. The initiative, supported by 73 investors representing $11.5 trillion in combined assets, aims to transition companies towards healthier, more sustainable diets by integrating protein diversification into their climate strategies.

The report emphasizes that the food system is increasingly vulnerable to disruptions caused by conflict, disease outbreaks, and extreme weather events driven by the climate crisis. It highlights the environmental benefits of plant-based foods, citing studies that show alternative proteins have significantly lower environmental footprints than traditional animal products. Despite this, private investment in key plant-based proteins has decreased in recent years, prompting investors to call on companies to set sales targets and replace animal proteins with more sustainable alternatives to reduce CO2 emissions and combat climate change.