The food system is ripe for innovation, said members of Monday’s panel, The XX Factor: How Women are Reshaping the Future of Food. There are millions of people who are going hungry every day, but food waste is growing at an unparalleled pace. Each of the panelists is working to target a different part of the food system, while recognizing that to create actual, sustainable change, we need to think about the food system as a whole, not just in siloed parts.
“It’s astounding to me how much energy and investment there is in the food system right now,” noted Renske Lynde of Food System 6, “and it amazes me how much more there needs to change. It’s still under-invested compared to other segments.” Food System 6 is a nonprofit accelerator based in the SF Bay Area that supports mission-driven entrepreneurs from around the world who transform how we grow, produce, and distribute food. “It’s really hard to build a new food system and be an entrepreneur,” she said, “But we want to focus on the fundamentals on how to build a sustainable, scalable business.”
Pashon Murray of Detroit Dirt agreed, “Now we have technology to support these solutions. There is an opportunity, economically, to build industry. It’s about putting things into practice and getting the funding we need to solve the problems.” Detroit Dirt specializes in providing compost and food waste solutions to the metro Detroit business community. But Murray knows that food waste isn’t just a problem in Detroit. “We have to look at global solutions because it’s all of our problem. Food waste is a global problem; managing carbon, that’s a global issue.”
Global scale is also on the mind of Brandi DeCarli, founder of Farm From a Box, an off-grid, modularly designed farm system that provides communities with the tools and technology needed to increase local food production through clean technology and regenerative farming. “Everything is interconnected. There’s unique challenges to working globally. Localizing solutions is where it gets interesting. We have to have respect for the food, culture, land, and people.”
In addition to offering advice on how to take steps to change the food system, the panelists weighed in on how women can be leaders in this business. “Taking risks is huge. Don’t be afraid to do that, even if it’s a small risk,” advised Michelle Wolf, co-founder of New Wave Foods, producer of a plant-based shrimp product. “It’s also essential to elevate people of all kinds; not just women but those with different orientations, races, and backgrounds. We can’t have diverse solutions without diverse people.”
Inessa O-Childs, Treasure8 agreed, “Diversity is great, but you need to have inclusiveness and equity, too. If you’re not including diverse people in the process, you’re not doing it right. Give them the same opportunities. Diversity on the board is really important too. These are the people driving the company.”
Moderator Geetika Agrawal, La Cocina, one of the incubators featured at the show’s Incubator Village, summed it up well when she said, “Things will not get fixed if we stay siloed. This industry gives such an opportunity to study and understand the health of the planet, its individuals, and the structural inequities. Food is an intersection of opportunities to innovate.”
from Specialty Food News http://bit.ly/2RuTchA
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