Ozempic and EU Regulation

Farmers are still not happy with the European Union and the most obese population in the world is gradually getting hooked on weight-loss drugs. Let’s dig in.

This week:

🥩 Italy’s ban on lab-grown meat faces pushback.

🏭️ Biofuels could replace coal, according to a new study.

💉 Demand for weight-loss drugs soars in China.

🚜 Danish farmers struggle under the weight of EU regulation.

🫑 A Marine-turned-chef deals with food waste in Canada…

POLICY
ITALY FACES PUSHBACK FROM EU

Last November, Italy banned the production of lab-grown meat and prevented the use of terms such as “salami” or “steak” when marketing plant-based products.

On top of that, the Italian government introduced fines of up to €60,000 per violation. As it turns out, though, that ban may not even be enforceable!

The country didn’t go through standard EU procedure - known as TRIS - by failing to notify the EU commission in advance of the nationwide ban.

ZOOMING OUT: So, according to EU law, any person affected may appeal to the Italian courts to declare the national law inapplicable. Now we’ll have to see what the Italian meat industry thinks of this.

CLIMATE
NO MEAT, NO COAL

A new study has shown that if humanity could cut down meat consumption by 50% the freed land could be used to grow enough green fuel to exceed total, annual coal production.

Effectively, the energy derived from growing crops as biofuel, like miscanthus and switchgrass, could completely replace the fuel generated by coal plants worldwide. 

Not only could these crops permanently lock away 9.3 GIGATONS of CO2 every year, but there would still be enough land to produce food for the growing global population.

ZOOMING OUT: And it doesn't stop there. The researchers found that cutting meat consumption even by 30% would be enough to grow crops, the biofuel from which could be used to ALMOST eliminate global coal production each year.

BUSINESS
CHINA GETS HOOKED ON OZEMPIC

With over 200 MILLION obese adults, many in China are trying to find ways around government regulations on purchasing Western weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Where in the US, users of Ozempic have to officially pay around $1000 to get their shots, those in China are able to purchase the drug for around $139 through the grey market.

Such a rapid influx of weight-loss drugs now has Chinese officials scrambling to regulate them as precise details of the side effects are still unknown.

ZOOMING OUT: The market for weight-loss drugs in China seems ripe. With 400 million over-weight people across the country and the patents for Ozempic and Wegovy expiring in 2026, pharmaceutical companies are waiting for their opportunity.

SUPPLY CHAIN
DANISH FARMERS AREN’T HAPPY

The Danish government’s plans to create the world’s first carbon emission tax on farming emissions - $109 per million tons of CO2 emitted - is raising MANY eyebrows in Denmark.

Denmark has legally committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 70% from 1990 levels by 2030. But, with agriculture accounting for about a third of the country’s emissions, that may be easier said than done.

Under the harshest taxation scenario, Denmark - a major pork and dairy producer - may have to reduce agricultural production by as much as one-fifth. 

ZOOMING OUT: Some Danish farmers argue that innovative technologies have helped 9,000 farmers reduce emissions by one million tons in the last two years.

So, it seems the battle between innovation and regulation will be interesting to watch in the coming European election months.

THE BRIGHT SIDE
FEED IT FORWARD

Canadian chef Jagger Gordon and his non-profit - Feed It Forward (“FIF”) - are doing some wonderful things in the food waste space.

Having spent time in the kitchen - as part of the Marine Corps - Jagger witnessed, firsthand, how much hunger there was around the world and how much food went to waste.

When he returned to Canada, he started FIF to not only eliminate food waste but to cook meals for those who face food insecurity.

Now his organisation works with various restaurants, retailers, and farmers to collect excess food to give it away to people in need or to make nutritious meals for their network of soup bars and grocery stores.

FIF also organises food education programmes, in which anyone and everyone can be taught the ways that food can be used in the most efficient way possible. Really inspiring and FOR SURE Food Jungle approved. ✅ 

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BEFORE YOU GO…

•  Salt Bae's London restaurant, which charges $850 for steak, cuts heating during peak hours to save money.

• Food assistance recipients in the US will now be able to use their benefits with online-only grocer, Thrive Market.

• Nestlé reported weaker-than-expected results and warned of slower sales growth this year as higher prices prompted shoppers to ease spending.

• Mars has partnered with Unreasonable to introduce Unreasonable Food – an initiative that aims to make the food supply chain and food packaging more sustainable. 

• Alternative protein maker – Meati Foods - is reducing workforce by 13%.

• Beyond Meat unveiled the fourth generation of its Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, set to hit stores this spring.