Problem and Solution

As global populations grow, the need for sustainable and nutritious foods continues to rise. However, the world’s natural resources cannot sustain at the rate at which we consume them. Currently, agriculture uses 70% of our freshwater resources, while 40% of the food we produce is lost at some point along the value chain. This has a huge economic implication, costing the global economy USD 1 trillion annually. 

ChumChum is a knowledge-intensive food-tech company, which enables the safe reprocessing of food waste into new products. For their baseline offering, the company takes cheap raw materials that would otherwise have gone to waste and creates high-quality products for the food service industry. They also work with large food manufacturing clients to dramatically reduce food waste in their operations, increasing their overall profits and reducing their strain on natural resources. Instead of focusing on B2C retail sales like many of its competitors, ChumChum creates sustainable solutions for food waste at scale. 

Climate and Nature Impact

By creating new food products from surplus fresh produce, ChumChum helps cut two sources of greenhouse gas emissions. First, avoided methane emissions from landfilling the food. Second, avoided emissions from primary food production – by utilizing existing surplus food, less food needs to be produced. This also reduces pressure on water resources, which are increasingly scarce in Mexico. ChumChum is also contributing to increased resilience for food producers and suppliers in the face of climate change, by developing ways to preserve food at risk of heat spoilage and volatile crop yields. By making the most of available food resources, the company is enabling responsible consumption.