By Lea Mira, RTN staff writer - 1.15.2025
Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced minority investments in Plantible Foods and CH4 Global, two companies focused on sustainable food production and climate change mitigation. These investments are part of Chipotle’s Cultivate Next initiative, which reportedly aims to support companies that align with its mission to cultivate a better world and accelerate its growth plans to operate 7,000 restaurants in North America. It currently operates over 3,600 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Kuwait.
Chipotle has increased its Cultivate Next venture fund by $50 million, bringing the total to $100 million. The fund, which began in 2022 with an initial $50 million, invests in early-stage companies that are working on advancements in agriculture, supply chains, automation, and restaurant technology. Cultivate Next has funded companies such as Meati Foods, which makes meat alternatives from mycelium, and Zero Acre Farms, which produces cooking oils through fermentation. Currently, Chipotle is testing oils from Zero Acre Farms at its test kitchen in Irvine, California.
Plantible is a company that has developed a manufacturing platform to produce Rubi Protein™ from Lemna, also known as duckweed. This plant-based protein mimics the quality, taste, and texture of animal-based proteins and can replace synthetic emulsifiers and binders. The company’s manufacturing technology utilizes the aquatic growth of Lemna, reducing fresh water usage and carbon emissions.
CH4 Global, on the other hand, is a company that aims to reduce methane emissions on a large scale. Its flagship product, Methane Tamer™, is a feed additive that uses Asparagopsis seaweed to reduce methane emissions in cattle by up to 90%. This could potentially increase the energy and nutrition cattle get from their food, improving their growth and milk production efficiency while reducing their environmental impact.
Last year, Chipotle announced minority investments in Greenfield Robotics and Nitricity, two companies focused on sustainable farming and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Greenfield Robotics uses AI, robotics, and sensing technologies to make regenerative farming more efficient and sustainable, while Nitricity uses air, water, and renewable energy to produce a cleaner, more sustainable, and cost-efficient fertilizer.
Both Greenfield Robotics and Nitricity are pioneering innovative solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the agricultural industry. Greenfield Robotics’ alternative to herbicides plays a crucial role in ensuring a more sustainable future for the agricultural industry, while Nitricity’s cleaner, more sustainable fertilizer has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of the fertilizer industry.
Chipotle’s investments in these companies align with its stated commitment to ingredient transparency and food integrity. The goal is to help transform the global food supply and unlock new opportunities for plant-based menu offerings. It’s a goal that should resonate with shareholders and customers alike.
