As we end 2020, we reflect upon the disruption that was experienced across all sectors and the Food, Beverage & Agriculture (FBA) sector was no exception. We saw spikes in unemployment rates, supply chain mishaps sparked by absenteeism, and declines in food away from home spending. However, the FBA sector (among others) proved resilient as retail activity was rejuvenated, the eCommerce channel jumped ahead a few years, plant-based brands saw increased trial buying from consumers, and deal activity remained strong as the year progressed. As discussed in our Spring 2021 issue of “The Intrepid Foodie”, we also saw the emergence of SPACs (special 
purpose acquisition companies) and FBA players being able to capitalize on strong investor appetite to earn attractive valuations (e.g., AppHarvest and Vital Farms).
We hope this Data Book provides some helpful insights as to what happened in 2020 and 2021 so far.
- M&A Market Update – Last year’s activity, the private equity market, and SPACs
- Macroeconomic & Industry Indicators – CPI and Food & Beverage spend, commodity prices, where interest rates are trending, and the latest on monthly wages/unemployment
- Public Company Trading Statistics – Where public companies are trading and what multiples they are receiving by sector