Source: Oatly

Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines.

Kroger and Food Dive have unveiled their top food predictions for 2021, ranging from immunity-boosting ingredients to a growth in mushroom-centric products. In the grocery industry, experts say 2021 will be the year retailers move from reacting to strategically managing for long-term growth.

Mondelez has agreed to buy the rest of Hu in a transaction that values the company at $340 million. Meanwhile, Oatly is expected to IPO and raise $1 billion this year.

Last but not least, the Trump administration has signaled backing of the transfer of authority for the regulation of gene-edited meat from the FDA to the USDA.

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Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

1. From ‘Mushroom Mania’ to ‘Ketotarian’ Foods: Kroger Unveils Top 7 Predictions for 2021 – Food Navigator

Kroger has released seven food trends it believes it will gain traction in 2021, which it predicts will be a breakout year for mushrooms.

2. 5 Trends Fueling Food and Beverage Innovation in 2021 – Food Dive

Consumers will pick up their pursuit of immunity boosts, new plant-based options, global flavors and tech-enhanced foods after a tough year.

3. 8 Trends That Will Shape the Grocery Industry in 2021 – Grocery Dive

After one of the most tumultuous years in recent memories, experts say 2021 will be the year grocers move from reacting to strategically managing for long-term growth.

4. Mondelez Agrees to Buy Rest of Paleo Chocolate-Bar Maker Hu – Wall Street Journal

The maker of Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers, which took a minority stake in Hu in 2019, is buying the rest in a transaction that values Hu at $340m.

5. Oatly Is Planning to IPO This Year – CNBC

The IPO could raise $1b, depending on the status of the economy in the face of the pandemic.

6. Introducing The Reimagining Food Retail Conversation Series

We’re partnering with S2G Ventures to host a series of conversations exploring how we might reimagine retail. Our goal is to create a space for stakeholders from farm to fork to come together to discuss how we might fundamentally reimagine food retail to make it more resilient, equitable, accessible, diverse, delicious, healthful and climate smart future.

7. Best of 2020 Awards – Nosh

While some of the brands are notable for the products they brought to store shelves or growth in sales, others were impressive to the selection committee for their heart, mission and commitment to building a better food system and future.

8. Trump Administration Wants to Ease Approval of Gene-Edited Meat – Bloomberg

Trump signaled its backing for transferring authority over gene-edited meat from the FDA to the USDA, which is considered to be more sensitive to the interests of the livestock industry.

9. 5 Trends That Shaped Agrifoodtech in 2020 – AgFunder

2020: A year like no other. But while Covid-19 has been catastrophic for the agrifood sector in many regards, it has also put agrifoodtech in the limelight.

10. 2021 Investor Insights – World Agritech 

Five high profile investors share priorities and predictions for agtech in 2021.

11. From Toxic Chefs to Covid, Restaurant Workers Deserve Better – New York Times

A former Momofuku employee’s account of a rage-fueled workplace is an all-too-familiar story. But it raises questions about how we treat restaurant staffs in the Covid era.

12. Germany: Delivery Hero Raising Up to $1.6B in War Chest for Deals – Bloomberg

The company will sell as many as 9.44m new shares in an accelerated offering to boost its cash position take advantage of investment opportunities.

13. A New Study on Regenerative Grazing Complicates Climate Optimism – Civil Eats

A new, peer-reviewed paper on White Oak Pastures’ practices advances our understanding of the climate impact of beef and the potential for regenerative grazing to store carbon in the soil.

14. Does Regenerative Agriculture Have a Race Problem? – Civil Eats

BIPOC farmers and advocates say the latest trend in agriculture is built on an age-old pattern of cultural theft and appropriation.

15. Chinese Ag & Food Delivery Giants Join $100M+ Raise for ‘Adaptive Robot’ Startup Flexiv – AgFunder

New Hope Group, Meituan, Gaorong Capital and others participated in the round. Funding will go towards scaling up production, carrying out R&D and marketing.

16. Israel’s Trigo Raises $60M for Smart Checkout Technology – Reuters

83North led the round. New funds will be used to scale the company’s ability to meet growing demand, boost R&D and expand its global presence.

17. 7 Food and Lifestyle Trends That Will Define 2021 – Forbes

These are the top 7 macro trends anyone working in the food, fashion, retail, travel or other lifestyle industries should be paying attention to in 2021.

18. Food & Ag Anti-Racism Resources + Black Food & Farm Businesses to Support

Check out our list of resources to learn about systemic racism in the food and agriculture industries. We also highlight Black food and farm businesses and organizations to support.

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