From Beer to Blockchain: Why Food’s Future is Smarter Than You Think 🍺🔗

^{VITAMIN C ® is a newsletter exploring topics in food innovation, climate and everything in between. If you missed the last editions, check them out here.}

Read time today: 2 minutes 44 seconds

Hi friend 👋,

It’s been a wild week filled with new discoveries - from beer waste being upcycled to blockchain cracking down on food fraud.

Between meetings, spening hours on trains, and scrolling through the web, I’ve found some fun stuff.

And if you’re into supporting sustainable meals (shoutout to Billie Eilish) or learning how your investments can fight climate change, you’re in the right place.

So let’s dive into this week’s top 5 findings. Ready? 🍋

1. [Science] 🍺 Drink beer, protect water—here’s how!

Ever heard of microbeads? Those tiny plastic scrubbers in your toothpaste and face wash? They exfoliate your skin or clean your teeth.

But the problem is they’re so small they slip through water filters and end up polluting the oceans.

Interesting but why is there a beer in the picture?

Scientists have used leftover beer brewing waste to make biodegradable microbeads.

These eco-friendly microbeads break down naturally, solving the pollution problem while reusing waste. Smart, right?

Read more here.

2. [Climate Warriors] 🌱🎸 Fighting Hunger, One Plant-Based Meal at a Time

Here’s a cool one: Billie Eilish and her mom Maggie Baird started the NGO Support+Feed to tackle two big problems—climate change and food insecurity - with one solution: serving plant-based meals to people in need.

They’ve already reached 95 mio people on social media and served 300,000 meals in the US alone in the last 3 years, helping the planet and people at the same time.

Less meat = less carbon.

They’ve partnered with 80+ local organizations and restaurants, and now they’re taking this mission global in company of Billie Eilish’s current world tour.

If you live in London, Berlin, or Amsterdam, I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about this soon! 🚀

3. [True Crime Food] 🚨🤖 Stopping Food Fraud with Blockchain and AI

Food fraud isn’t just about fake labels—it's a global hustle affecting your everyday stuff like olive oil, seafood, and honey.

The crazy part? It’s costing the world between $10 billion - $40 billion every year.

To fight back, the EU commission is pushing for blockchain and AI solutions.

Blockchain tracks every step, from the moment olives are harvested to the point the oil hits the shelf. You might even be able to scan a QR code on the bottle to check its entire journey. Not everywhere yet, but it’s in the works.

Meanwhile, AI is crunching insane amounts of data (e.g. supply chain, monitoring factors like harvest yields, processing methods, and market distribution) to flag anything suspicious—like way too much “extra virgin” olive oil despite a poor harvest. AI calls it out, authorities investigate.

This way, the fraudsters got nowhere to hide anymore 🥸. Blockchain locks down the supply chain, and AI spots shady moves.

Learn more about how the EU commission is advocating countries to use blockchain and AI tools to fight food fraud: Blockchain technology in food safety​ & AI in food risk management​.

4. [Events] 📆 2025’s Top Global Foodtech Summits

Found a cool LinkedIn post by Hadas Rajchenberg with all the foodtech events for 2025. Best part? Free Excel sheet here! 

I’ll definitely be going to some of those, if you are around, let me know!

 5. [Podcast Recommendation] 🎧💰Climate Funds 101: Smart, Sustainable, and Profitable

Thinking about jumping into climate-friendly investments? Check out the podcast episode "A Cheat Sheet on Climate Funds" by MSCI.

This episode breaks down how climate funds work, the risks they manage, and how they align with sustainability goals.

It covers both public climate funds, like ETFs and mutual funds—accessible to smaller investors—and private climate funds, which typically require larger amounts

Whether you're a seasoned investor looking to integrate ESG into your portfolio or a beginner wanting to understand the basics of climate funds, this one's for you.

Learn how your money can make an impact on the planet and your wallet.

🎧Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcast

Happy Friday,
Lia

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