Sustainability specialist expands North American operations with acquisition
Anthesis Group, the Manchester-based global sustainability expert, has acquired a Canadian business specialising on sustainability in the food sector
The acquisition of Provision Coalition Inc. builds on Anthesis’ growing operations in North America and follows a significant minority investment from Palatine Private Equity in March 2021 to enable it to scale both organically and acquisitively.
Founded as a non-profit in 2013 by CEO Cher Mereweather, one of Canada’s leading figures in food industry sustainability, Provision Coalition Inc. includes a team of eight food and beverage industry sustainability experts based in Guelph, Ontario.
It supports food and beverage companies with a “holistic approach” to sustainability.
Prior to the deal, both companies have been collaborating on the creation of a software platform for the Canadian Agri-food Sustainability Initiative that makes it easier for agricultural producers to assess their compliance with multiple sustainability standards.
Provision Coalition Inc. will operate as Anthesis Provision and integrate globally with Anthesis’ existing business working with companies including Cargill, Nestlé and Danone.
Stuart McLachlan, CEO of Anthesis Group, said: “This strategic move highlights our commitment to the North American region and our determination to drive change through social awareness and education in one of the world’s largest industries.”
Cher Mereweather, CEO of Provision Coalition Inc.
Cher Mereweather, CEO of Provision Coalition Inc., added: “Our purpose at Provision is to help the food and beverage industry rise to the challenges of creating a more sustainable food system.
“As we face this decisive decade, we are thrilled to align our strengths and passions with those of the Anthesis team to deliver more impact, faster, to more companies, together.”
This is the 14th M&A deal for Anthesis Group since it was established in 2013.
Acquisitions include Best Foot Forward, UMR GmbH, Caleb Management Services, SecondNature, GoodBrand, and Spanish sustainability services provider, Lavola.
