Animal-free for Biodiversity

Beyond Impact for Decarbonisation, Biodiversity, Climate Impact, Blue Ocean and Health & Wellness

Our current production practices for food materials, ingredients, pharmaceuticals, and personal care exponentially lead to species extinction and make biodiversity vulnerable. The world is facing a biodiversity crisis, with the 2022 Living Planet Report showing an average 69% decline in wildlife populations between 1970 and 2018. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), over 28% of species assessed are threatened with extinction.

We firmly position <Beyond Impact> to help reduce carbon emissions, accelerate decarbonization, provide healthier, kinder, cleaner alternatives, and make biodiversity resilient. We make biodiversity resilient by helping relieve the land (avoiding deforestation and abuse of the blue ocean), reducing water consumption, and avoiding zoonotic diseases altogether.

To my knowledge, little capital has moved to preserve biodiversity by investing in animal-free solutions. We believe we are spearheading the movement and educating our peers, limited partners (LPs)/capital allocators, scientists, and innovators. We will also include the impact of biodiversity in our impact report.

Picture Credits: Unleash+

I want to leave you with some figures for you to mull over >>

• Livestock farming occupies 77% of global agricultural land while providing only 18% of global calories (FAO)¹.

• Deforestation for grazing and feed crops (e.g., soy) is a leading cause of habitat destruction, particularly in biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon². Pasture expansion for cattle production is the primary driver of deforestation and has been linked to 80% of clearing³.

• According to FAO, fishery stocks within biologically sustainable levels decreased to 62.3 percent in 2021, 2.3 percent lower than in 2019⁴.

• Livestock farming occupies 77% of global agricultural land but provides only 18% of global calories and 37% of protein⁵.

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that livestock contributes approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with cattle (meat and milk) accounting for around 62% of the livestock sector's emissions⁶.

• Zoonotic diseases (from animals to humans) are becoming more common due to increased contact between wild and farmed animals fueled by land expansion and climate change⁷. The majority of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have come from wild or farmed animals⁸.

Let us look at the case for preserving & protecting biodiversity with animal-free solutions.

• With supportive policy, a shift towards alternative proteins can enable 44% of land across the 10 European countries evaluated to transition to agroecological farming, domestic food production, and nature restoration⁹.

• If 50% of the leading animal products (pork, chicken, beef, and milk) are substituted [with animal-free products] globally, the net reduction of forest and natural land will almost entirely halt.

  • If spared agricultural land within forest ecosystems is restored to forest, climate benefits could double, reaching 92% of the previously estimated land sector mitigation potential.

  • Furthermore, the restored area could contribute to 13-25% of the estimated global land restoration needs under target 2 from the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030, and future declines in ecosystem integrity by 2050 would be more than halved.

  • The reduction of agricultural and land use emissions in 2050 in the 90% substitution scenario is 11.9 Gt CO2eq reduction.

  • In the 50% substitution scenario:

    • “Carbon sequestration grows by 3.3 Gt CO2/year — [more than] doubling the benefits already achieved by reducing land use emissions without such restoration.”

    • “This gives 6.3 Gt CO2eq/year of all agriculture and land use emissions reduction compared to REF in 2050.”

    • Instead of expanding, the global agricultural area declines by 12% (653 Mha of land is released from use).

    • Water use declines by 10% (−291 km3) instead of increasing

• Eliminating livestock could save up to 1.6 billion hectares of wild habitats, protecting critical ecosystems.

At Beyond Impact, we see biodiversity impact as vital as a focus on decarbonization and GHG reduction because healthy ecosystems are the foundation of life on Earth, providing essential services like clean air, water, pollination, and climate regulation. Biodiversity loss weakens ecosystems, making them less resilient to climate change, while intact ecosystems—like forests, wetlands, and oceans—act as critical carbon sinks, mitigating global warming. Addressing biodiversity loss and climate change creates a virtuous cycle: protecting species and ecosystems enhances carbon sequestration and resilience, ensuring a healthier, more sustainable planet for all. That is why we like to say - Beyond Impact for decarbonization, biodiversity, climate impact, blue ocean, and health & wellness.

We are investing in nature-positive solutions so humanity can live in harmony with nature. Let us make our biodiversity resilient and help all species breathe and live in accordance with nature!

For Humanity,

Sagar Tandon

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Beyond Impact stands out as the only female-founded SFDR Article 9 "Dark Green" global VC fund of its kind. Our highly experienced and diverse team, with a background in managing over $30 billion in assets, operates in key global markets. We leverage a unique proprietary deal flow platform, granting us access to over 6,000 relevant companies and a strong European network of experts, universities, manufacturers, and technology centers.

1. More Fuel for the Food/Feed Debate (full report)

2. The FAO highlights that 80% of global deforestation is driven by agriculture, with cattle ranching being the primary driver in the Amazon. Soy production, much of which is used as livestock feed, also plays a significant role. (Source: FAO and Forests)

3. Cattle ranchers and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Production, location, and policies (full paper)

4. The status of fishery resources, FAO (full report)

5. Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers (full paper)

6. New FAO report maps pathways towards lower livestock emissions, FAO (full report)

7. IPBES Workshop on Biodiversity and Pandemics

8. Jones, K. E., Patel, N. G., Levy, M. A., Storeygard, A., Balk, D., Gittleman, J. L. and Daszak, P. (2008), ‘Global trends in emerging infectious disease’, Nature

9. A new land dividend: the opportunity of alternative proteins in Europe, Green Alliance (full report)