Planet FWD debuts carbon-neutral snacks

Agriculture startup Planet FWD has raised $2.5 million in additional seed funding, and is debuting its first product: a snack cracker that the company says boasts a fully carbon-neutral manufacturing process.

Why it matters: About 25-30% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food production system, according to research from the United Nations.

Background: Planet FWD focuses on regenerative agriculture, a set of practices that offset carbon emissions.

What’s new: Moonshot, the company's fancy cracker, will be sold directly online and via Zero Grocery for $5.99 a box.

• Planet FWD has partnered with environmental consulting firm Native Energy to offset whatever carbon it couldn't eliminate from its production.
• Much of those emissions come from third parties it works with, so the company can't directly control them.

The big picture: The company aims to make software tools it built to develop Moonshot crackers available to other companies looking to produce carbon-neutral foods, founder and CEO Julia Collins, who previously co-founded pizza robotics company Zume, told Axios.

• “It was so hard to create this first product," says Collins of having to source every ingredient and process and ensure it's all carbon-neutral, which led her to the broader idea of making tools for other companies.
• And getting into the software business meant she'd need venture capital, she adds.

What's next: The company is currently providing a small number of initial customers some tools to assess their manufacturing. It will kick off a pilot program in February or March with tools focused on sourcing ingredients.

• Emerson Collective led Planet FWD's new financing, with Concrete Rose, MCJ Collective, Arlan Hamilton, BBG Ventures, January Ventures, Kapor Capital and others also participating.

Note: Emerson Collective is an Axios investor.