CHICAGO — Snack and confections giant Mondelez International has made new investments in regenerative agriculture, inclusive financing and circular packaging via its Sustainable Futures platform.
Launched in February 2021, Sustainable Futures serves as an impact-investing vehicle for incubating, financing and supporting self-sustaining ventures that address key global challenges, notably climate change, and advance scalable, high-impact solutions “at the nexus of climate, community and circularity,” Chicago-based Mondelez said. The platform provides direct investments, fund investments and technical assistance.
New direct investments for the Sustainable Futures portfolio include eAgronom, ZIRO and Pack2Earth.
An ag-tech company, eAgronom supports the transition to regenerative agriculture by helping farmers improve soil health, lower carbon emissions and foster financial resilience via sustainable practices, according to Mondelez. The company said eAgronom, with more than 1 million hectares (2.47 million acres) under more sustainable farming practice through its support, provides a range of capabilities — such as on-the-ground assistance, technology and financial access — and bolsters farmers’ ability to adapt to climate-related challenges.
Fintech startup ZIRO offers affordable inventory financing to small merchants, helping them to grow more sustainably with tools to drive sales, sharpen inventory management and build financial stability. Mondelez said ZIRO is projected to reach about 100,000 small merchants over the next three years. Meanwhile, advanced materials company Pack2Earth produces bio-based materials that offer more sustainable options to single-used plastics, including flexible plastics. Mondelez said its investment supports Pack2Earth’s push to replace approximately 60,000 tonnes of plastic packaging with its home compostable material by 2028.
Mondelez’s fund investments through Sustainable Futures include participation in a coalition of global corporations and development finance institutions to support the launch of Circulate Capital’s Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Ocean Fund. Launched in May 2023, the fund backs local innovators developing scalable solutions to reduce plastic waste across Latin America. Mondelez said its 2024 investment in the Circulate Capital Ocean Fund contributed to circulating or avoiding over 7,600 tonnes of plastic, cutting more than 10,700 tonnes of GHG emissions and creating over 34,900 tonnes in recycling infrastructure capacity in Southeast Asia and India.
On the technology assistance front, Mondelez said it helped drone-based weed mapping firm SAM-DIMENSION GmbH build out a multi-year pilot that demonstrated the value of its technology in a large-scale, real-world situation and used protocols and methods to quantify the positive impact. Sustainable Futures investments in tech support are aimed at helping early-stage ventures to validate new technologies via larger-scale pilots and rigorous scientific approaches, according to Mondelez.
The latest Sustainable Futures investments reflect Mondelez’s efforts through its Snacking Made Right sustainability strategy and Vision 2030 long-term growth strategy.
“Sustainability is embedded as the fourth strategic pillar of Mondelez International’s growth strategy,” said Christine Montenegro McGrath, chief impact and sustainability officer. “These Sustainable Futures investments are part of our company’s investments in new, scalable solutions that we believe can help address key challenges and in turn help create long-term business resilience while contributing to a thriving future for people and planet.”
