Nestlé has announced the launch of a partnership with The Yield Lab Latam, a specialised venture capital fund investing to help transform the food sector in Latin America.
The Yield Lab Latam invests in technology-based start-ups that operate in the agrifood industry to bring innovative technology solutions from food production to agricultural methods. It connects investors, start-ups, corporates, farmers, the public sector and research communities to promote the sustainable transformation of this critical industry.
Nestlé has committed investment to The Yield Lab Latam from its Sustainability Fund. The Fund invests in innovative start-ups and organisations working in two key areas: promoting packaging solutions and recycling infrastructure that contribute to circular economies and helping the food sector transition to regenerative agriculture.
"The investment from Nestlé and the partnership with The Yield Lab Latam will help us progress on finding sustainable solutions for the food industry," said Maxence de Royer, Vice President of Strategy, Business Development & ESG for Nestlé Latin America Region.
"Investing in technological innovation in the agri-food sector and drawing on the energy and creativity of start-ups can help meet common goals such as reducing emissions and increasing biodiversity."
She continued that this complemented Nestle's research work in the area, for example, through our new Institute of Agricultural Sciences.
Santiago Murtagh, Managing Director of The Yield Lab Latam, said that the relationship with Nestlé reflected the shared vision of committing ourselves and the food production ecosystem to help jointly address the industry's challenges.
"We are leveraging our proximity to local entrepreneurial talent and the reach of our network of innovation centres," said Murtagh.
Murtagh continued that from this local position and the regional experience of having invested in seven Latin American countries, The Yield Lab could act as a bridge between investors in the food industry and innovative solutions for the sustainable production of healthy, nutritious, safe and accessible food for the next generations.
Nestlé is committed to reducing its carbon footprint in the Latam region throughout its supply chain and operations. One focus area has been implementing regenerative agriculture practices, especially in the dairy supply chain, where the company has already launched over 80 projects across 11 countries. These projects have significant potential to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting communities and protecting, preserving and restoring natural resources.
Yield Lab Latam was founded in 2017 with offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. It is part of The Yield Lab, a global network of venture capital firms operating since 2014 and based in St. Louis, Missouri. It has regional operations throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
