Agronomics Share Discussion Threads

[livewireplus] 29/7/2021 07:46

Man v food: is lab-grown meat really going to solve our nasty agriculture problem?htTps://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/29/lab-grown-meat-factory-farms-industrial-agriculture-animals?

[donald pond] 27/7/2021 15:33

I was in a board meeting talking about ESG matters today, and the one thing we all agreed on was that people now take a holistic view of commercial activity. It will become harder and harder for polluters to blame others, and for salmon and dairy farming, they simply won't be economically viable if they are made to pay for the damage they cause. I think change here could happen very quickly indeed.

[3ootuk] 27/7/2021 15:26

When you see how salmon is farmed with the amount of insecticide used and pollution, as well as uncontrolled releases, then companies can use that as propaganda for new technology.
Same with antibiotics in milk cows.
The downside is that you won't see cows/sheep etc grazing in fields in the future, unless they are a rare breed.

[hpcg] 27/7/2021 13:15

There are huge implications on the other side with those companies tied into animal rearing and the production chain. Oslo listed Mowi for example, will have its equity crushed once cell grown salmon comes along. It is one industry that has proven that price is king and that people will turn a blind eye to the production method.

[williamcooper104] 27/7/2021 13:13

Amusingly my french friends winge more than anyone about McD and eat there more than anyone I know

[blusteradjuster] 27/7/2021 10:17

True dp.

Has implications for the CAP.

[donald pond] 27/7/2021 08:59

You can say there are 2 types of country. Those who export proteins and animal feed and those who import them. Once cellular meats are viable at scale they will dominate. All countries want food security and most people, particularly the young, want cruelty free and environmentally friendly. It's so obvious Europe will end up being the French agriculture industry swimming against the tide of progress but it won't stop progress

[earwacks] 27/7/2021 07:02

I think there French, more than any other nation find it hard to let go of tradition when it comes to food and wine. Change is difficult. Yet Aussie wine makers successfully infiltrated the wine industry. McDonalds overcame farmers dumping slurry in their car parks. The old Boulangeries are being replaced by frozen dough super chains. Foie gras has been under the cosh for years and perceived rightly or wrongly as one of the most cruel methods of production. The American beef industry will no doubt mount huge resistance to cell meat production. That's why the main market for innovation will build through Asia where they have the highest import of food and the lowest production. Singapore and Thailand for example are at the forefront particularly with sea food cell meat. Agranomics is unstoppable, not least because traditional methods of food production are inadequate to feed the burgeoning world human population

[williamcooper104] 27/7/2021 00:30

Gourmey, a company founded in Paris in 2019, said that it had raised $10 million to build a factory in Paris to make its cultured foie gras. The delicacy is produced from duck cells placed in a cultivator and fed with proteins, amino acids and sugar until they can be harvested.It is not the first such experiment, with other firms, notably in the US, having already created cultured burgers and chicken. But Nicolas Morin-Forest, one of Gourmey's three founders, said that the soft texture of foie gras made it particularly suitable for production from cells in the laboratory. "We want to show that cultured meat is not limited to burgers but can also be used for gastronomic products," he told AFP, the French press agency. Gourmey says that after 600 attempts it has hit upon a recipe that tastes as good as the real thing. "Last Christmas, I served it on toast to my family along with conventional foie gras without telling them," Victor Sayous, one of the founders, said. "Some of them . . . could not tell the difference."

[williamcooper104] 27/7/2021 00:29

Faux foie gras sticks in the throat of Frenchhttps://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6dbf1fec-ee2c-11eb-a2a3-afea84050239?shareToken=c2963e531a0a82c3be09225b2b1e617bNow, however, it is to be made in a Parisian factory by a start-up that says it has discovered how to cultivate the meat from cells taken from recently laid eggs. The announcement has been hailed by modernisers as a triumph in the search for laboratory-made meat that involves neither cruelty to animals nor planetary pollution.But in the foie gras heartland of southwest France, it has been greeted with dismay by traditionalists who fear an attack on the nation's culinary soul. Detractors say that whatever emerges from the Parisian laboratory, it will not be proper foie gras.

[blusteradjuster] 26/7/2021 15:59

The Economist running a story about a 57% increase in food prices, in part due to Swine flu "wiping out" China's pork output.



The article doesn't mention it but extreme weather events are an obvious threat to crop harvests.


Why leave our fortunes to the apparent randomness of nature?

Time to take control and make food production reliable, dependable, affordable.

[williamcooper104] 25/7/2021 19:15

The need to green food production is only going one way; and faster Sure, ANIC could be an epic Woodford, it's clearly at the high risk side of high risk; but I'm happy to support it from a purely - it's the right thing to do perspective - and of course there's also a not unreasonable prospect of a multi x)

[mwoo] 25/7/2021 17:50

Hi Nick Grant2

1. The fall in price due to new investment money. Did all investors get a chance to maintain their stake?....NO ...If your broker didnt deal with the one offering the deal for fundraiaing on behalf of ANIC, then it was unavailable to several PI's

2. Was there any conclusion to the discussion about the best broker to buy through to have all options open for future funding exercises?....NO I didnt see any discussion ref best broker for this time around. Hargreaves was a definite no no as was Halifax, but AJ Bell was useful.....who the next fund raise will be done through is anybodys guess

3. Was this last funding basically a dilution for PIs?,,,NO in my opnion it was not a dilution for PI's....it was more a case of Mellon and his fellow directors needing to get more funds to invest in all their companies

Im hope this clears up my three NO's but as always they are only my opinions..from MWOO

[earwacks] 25/7/2021 17:09

Its good to talk. Thats what these boards are here for rather than slag off each other or the directors. Anic is a bit of lone wolf. Cant think of many investment trust that have whole baskets of unlisted companies. iii possibly? First of all if you dont know much about the food production revolution buy Mellon's book Moos Law. It's gob smacking and actually very positive for the future and presents the case for the bases of a much kinder sustainable world. The proceeds go to Food technology.
I too was pretty concerned about the nav to share price ratio. You could say its bit ahead of the game by traditional methods of valuing trusts invested in listed companies. Thats not probably the best way to look at it. It also helps if you know a bit about Mellon's career as a philanthropist investor from Silicon Valley days.
There is tons of research out there for the looking.
I don't consider the recent placing was a dilution. The money raised is to help finance either existing holdings or take positions in new opportunities. In that respect it is just like any trust fund.
I first invested in an ETF global sustainable food fund FOGB uk, FOOD USA, which may be a bit steadier as investing goes, but invests in similar themes.
This is very much an investment for the future, so you may not see its real value for a few years. The difficulty is gauging the speed of development, scaling up capacity and product to market. The Far Eastern countries that rely heavily (up to 95% on food imports) are particularly supportive. In the west there will be disruption and opposition from the sectors of the establishment but many of the big food producers like Nestle have embraced and are actively involved in 'the new food production revolution. Its been more than 20 years coming and its is now like an express train crashing in on the scene a lot faster than the computer/internet revolution which will similarly impact all our lives. If you have any doubts, don't invest. There are plenty of other places after all.

[donald pond] 25/7/2021 16:04

This looks like an interesting approach. Lots of competition in the sector, hope Mellow can pick a few winners https://www.fastcompany.com/90657375/this-startup-just-raised-75-million-to-make-a-more-cheesy-plant-based-cheese

[nickgrant2] 21/7/2021 02:16

mwoo, could you briefly summarise your reply :-)

Your no to point 3 means I have not fully understood things. Will go back to my homework. Thanks

[dicktrade] 20/7/2021 15:45

DP
Nicely worded and i share your views and hopes.
If anyone does not understand the situation here why are they investing.

Richard

[williamcooper104] 20/7/2021 15:29

Yep - existing investors all subscribing to a new funding round pari pasu can literally use whatever valuation they want

[donald pond] 20/7/2021 14:37

I am astonished at some posters making comments about the premium to NAV. The holdings are all private companies, generally pre revenue, with no listed peers. The investment thesis here is that when they start listing, or get taken over, it will be for many multiples of current NAV. ANIC needs cash to fund future funding rounds, at which NAV is irrelevant as existing holders will provide funding. So it could be at a big premium right now, or a discount. Who knows? We will find out in 3-5 years time, at which time I expect ANIC will have 10 bagged from here

[mwoo] 20/7/2021 12:52

no no and no

[nickgrant2] 20/7/2021 07:53

I see the investee companies as all pretty good. Provided the investor agreements allow for commensurate participation in future funding rounds and investor can maintain their stake provided they have the money.

The weak link IMO, as mentioned befor, is Agronomics. I am still inspecting the recent fund raising. I read the various discussions earlier in this thread from those who were invested at that point and was wondering if any of you can answer some queries that I have not quite got to the bottom of.

1. The fall in price due to new investment money. Did all investors get a chance to maintain their stake?

2. Was there any conclusion to the discussion about the best broker to buy through to have all options open for future funding exercises?

3. Was this last funding basically a dilution for PIs?

Also, regarding the NAV. Isnt it wiser to get rid of the big lump of cash out of the equation by taking it off the share price and then see what the NAV to share price ratio is?

[hsfinch] 19/7/2021 20:30

Good questions. Way too expensive at current levels. Its a risky stock and should be trading at NAV. That's around 15p.