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CONTENTS 00
Sara’s message • 4
01
02
Be the Change • 8 Prosperity Thinking Mindset • 10 Integral Ecological Approach • 12 Decentralization Governance • 14 Regeneration Action • 17
Ecosystem • 20 Why/Purpose • 21 Ecosystem Map • 22 Ecosystem Architecture • 24 Initiatives • 26
03
04
Foundations • 6
Actions • 28 2021 Milestones • 29 Future Food Breakthroughs • 36 Knowledge • 42 Community • 51 Innovation • 69
Connections • 80 Proud to Partner • 81 2021 Publications • 83 Connect & Collaborate • 83 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 3
SARA’S MESSAGE Often difficult times conceal within them changes that can become a precious source of inspiration. The pandemic has become the true litmus test of the basic principles espoused in international and national agendas since 2015. From the Milan Expo 2015 (Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life) to the now globally-recognized Agenda 2030 and through to the Paris Agreement, the world has now experienced, firsthand, the degree to which the balance between humanity and nature touches food, water, soil, biodiversity, and climate change, before reverberating onto human health and the economy. It is up to us to understand what this “being different” consists of. This is our call to take the path towards a new direction. We urge not just a restart, but a rebirth. Three keywords should guide this rebirth:
RECONNECT The rush towards efficiency and expediency that characterizes the current business-as-usual models leaves fundamental pieces behind. Accustomed to re-acting rather than acting thoughtfully, our contemporary society has been gradually dissociating from the complexities of life, from the ancient wisdom capable of pursuing common interests by finding a perfect balance between different interests. We need to reconnect to the different dimensions of life, breaking down the walls between science and ecology, finance and anthropology, economy and health. We need to weave our expertise together, by connecting farmers and entrepreneurs, producers and consumers, diplomats and youth, because only together can we effectively solve the challenges that impact us all. Reconnecting us back to the One Health Approach means functioning again as an ecosystem, in which the relationship of all the elements constitute the real strength. 4 | 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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REAFFIRM We notice beauty most through subtraction when essentials are taken away from us. This is exactly what the pandemic, and the concurrent global challenges, have accentuated by disrupting the foundations of our existence: life, health, human relationships, conviviality, access to food and natural resources, security, physical and mental well-being. We urge a return to the essentials of life, to our roots: reaffirming human values and reinstalling the ancient relationship with Mother Earth. The world is hungry for trust and care, for creativity and courage, for curiosity and beauty. It is time to embrace new strategies and new mindsets, those able to see the needs of humanity and the planet as two sides of the same coin.
REGENERATE Regeneration means going beyond sustainability, to restore the whole fabric of life. And food is an incredible lever for regeneration. Regeneration means bringing good, nutritious, and low environmental impact products back to our tables, making them accessible to all. It involves implementing platforms that make supply chains simpler and more resilient; guiding consumers’ purchasing choices by making them more aware of the impact generated by their actions; seeing the potential of resources that are still “dormant.” Regeneration means returning to a lifestyle based on seasonality, fresh and local products, those that actively preserve and enliven natural resources. It means restoring the social fabric, the convivium, sociality, inclusivity, spirituality, and rituals that play a crucial role in generating solid relationships between people. It means redeveloping sustainable forms of economy, those that are grounded in respect for the landscape, for the local territory. It is a circle that starts from individuals giving back to society and the economy the value of beauty.
Sara Roversi Founder of Future Food Institute
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FOUNDATIONS Be the Change Prosperity Thinking Mindset Integral Ecological Approach Decentralization Governance Regeneration Action
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CORE VALUES
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FOUNDATIONS
BE THE CHANGE Food is life, energy, and nourishment. But it is also love, family, celebration, experiences, inclusion, community, traditions, culture, identity, rituals, and values. Food has the power to connect and unite us but today, eating requires consciousness and awareness. This is why Future Food exists. We have built an ecosystem, composed of a philanthropic soul dedicated to creating new models and mindsets by strengthening research projects, promoting training programs, and spreading knowledge that feeds innovative projects capable of generating positive impacts on the health of humans and the planet. At Future Food, our efforts are driven by our central mantra of “Being the Change” from which our six core values are derived. The value of uniqueness, focused on creating an impact on society and the environment, having an approach oriented towards prototyping and validating ideas, being guided by passion, seeing diversity as a strong point that enriches, and ultimately maintaining a mentality oriented towards constant growth to make the learning process perennial. For this reason, the Future Food team is multi-cultural, multi-generational, multi-ethnic and composed of skills and backgrounds from different contexts: innovators and startuppers, academics and researchers, entrepreneurs, local and international public institutions, and executives from big business. It is through this cross-pollination of diverse perspectives, coupled with the shared commitment to our fundamental values that enables us to make exponential positive change to sustainably improve life on Earth.
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Last day of the Food & Climate Shapers Boot Camp - Mediterranean Edition.
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FOUNDATIONS
PROSPERITY THINKING MINDSET Prosperity thinking is a methodological approach to designing a world that fulfills all its beings’ needs within the planet’s ecological means. It aims to enable the design of a better food system starting from a shared inclusive idea of prosperity that encompasses not only economic growth but also social and environmental well-being. As an evolution of Design Thinking, this approach goes beyond user-centered design to human and planet-centered growth. Now is the time to innovate and reverse the paradigm of development. We must unite beyond political color, ideology, geographical origin or social class, citizens, institutions, and businesses to shift our trajectory from one focused solely on profit, to the generation of prosperity for the “common good.” This requires a fundamental shift in mindset. Much has been said about evolution, but the blind growth of the machine of technology and innovation as an end in itself has tragically left humanity behind. Today, innovation based on virtuous models exists and it is from them that we must take an example. These models are studied through the lens of “prosperity thinking,” which uses sustainability concepts to recognize that the planet is also a stakeholder and should be equally considered when designing new products. At its most fundamental, design serves to address needs. But whose needs? By changing our mindset to one focused on Prosperity Thinking, we reset the innovation process to the very beginning - designing a world that fulfills all its beings’ needs. Good innovation is that which is capable of regenerating the environment and the social fabric in equal measure since one depends on the other.
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This process begins by reframing our challenges to acknowledge the human needs that drove us beyond a specific planetary boundary. We then reset the innovation to place the planet’s needs alongside ours. This allows us to ideate, co-design, prototype, and test with contextual stakeholder communities. These stakeholders become ambassadors of prosperity-driven innovation, expanding a prosperity innovator’s role into that of a systemic change-agent, linking the micro (human) and the macro (planet). Today the real innovators are those who have the courage to work from and promote a new mindset, focused on prosperity, understood as widespread and universal well-being, aimed at collective regeneration, to be analyzed beyond the economic and financial lenses. This is the innovation that will drive the behavior changes so urgently needed. Prosperity Thinking is the mindset that Future Food lives, breathes, and educates within, challenging ourselves and our stakeholders to evolve beyond our anthropogenic, ego-centric paradigm towards an approach grounded in integral ecological regeneration.
INNOVATION SPACE
HUMAN NEED Eg. Access to safe drinking water to all.
PLANET NEED Eg. Excess production of non-biodegradable material.
DRINKING WATER FOR ALL How might we make safe drinking water available to all while minimizing non-biodegradable waste generation? 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 11
FOUNDATIONS
INTEGRAL ECOLOGICAL APPROACH Our society is changing, this is a fact. We must restart from the ability to understand the complexity of the world in which we live and the infinite interconnections that exist. From that concept of integral ecology, which Pope Francis has been trying to explain to us for years, in which everything is connected and in which we are finally aware that every choice and action we make has an implication on the surrounding environment. Integral Ecology - Everything is Connected. We are not faced with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.” In such an “economic ecology,” the protection of the environment is then seen as “an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation from it. – Pope Francis
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This change — in order to be understood — needs to be studied. Only by looking at the connections between the parts is it possible to be aware of the whole. If, as a global society, we adjust our mindset to see the tremendous potential inherent in the movement of people and ideas, we can realize innumerable opportunities. Perhaps, however, it is precisely through moments of crisis, like what we have been living for the past two years, that we need to experience to define this new approach. Perhaps we are slowly realizing, as humanity, our interconnectedness. Perhaps change will not happen tomorrow, but in the meantime, we continue to emphasize the strong connections that bind humanity and nature. At Future Food, our approach is to connect the values, the actors, and the initiatives across economic, political, environmental, human, social, and cultural spheres to frame and chart our efforts. This Integral Ecological methodology enables us to prioritize and strategize activity with the potential to do the most good for people and the planet.
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FOUNDATIONS
DECENTRALIZATION GOVERNANCE We are living in an era of profound transformation through which we are witnessing the emergence of new, increasingly decentralized systems. Take for example the founding concept of Bitcoin and, more generally, the idea of a decentralized peerto-peer digital system, this is revolutionary and has illustrated the many benefits of a decentralized system. It happens with the emerging, and disruptive Crypto Banking and decentralized financial system but this phenomenon could soon revolutionize agri-food systems as well. We are talking about personalization, identity, and traditions, the valorization of biodiversity, regenerative agriculture, the fight against the abandonment of rural areas, seasonal and zeromileage consumption, inclusion, and rights. New cooperative models are redesigning governance and value distribution all along the supply chain. Cities have the potential to become undisputed examples of food sovereignty, food justice, and food diplomacy in all three of its dimensions: securing the essential human needs (food access), ensuring trust and transparency (securing safety), and guaranteeing food sovereignty, by building strategic relationships with all the stakeholders. They can become living laboratories for strengthening the bond between the gifts from Mother Nature, feeders, and eaters with respect for the natural, social, and cultural fabrics. Squares, farmers’ markets, restaurants, canteens, food cooperatives, community-supported agriculture can be turned into unique
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places where people can gather, support each other, share, and also be heard and empowered. And this can be done because cities are the most natural places to understand local problems. The diplomacy of cities can open the door to the ethics of citizen service, of the common good, because they can foster open engagement, open innovation, open exchange of perspectives and visions. This, in turn, increases the resilience and flexibility of the territory, helps to recover former agricultural areas, supports commercial activities, promotes the conservation of peri-urban agricultural activities, and also drastically touches the issue of food loss and waste, at its roots. This approach further materializes in a plurality of local food heroes: ordinary people that gather, support each other, share, and promote sustainable food policies. Now more than ever decentralization needs to become the new governance. To reimagine and restructure the way systems produce, transport and supply, recycle and reuse food in the 21st century, decentralization can foster citizens’ active engagement and exchange of best practices between short food supply chains, cities and regions, consumers, civil society, and Living Labs.
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FOUNDATIONS
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REGENERATION ACTION In 2015, the General Assembly of the UN set out a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” These 17 interlinked Sustainable Development Goals are a call to action, for everyone, everywhere to promote prosperity for people and the planet. Food is at the center of them all. Agrifood production, distribution and fruition link every goal in such a way that by just addressing one goal, causes a deficiency in another. To guide organizations and people in the application of best practices, Future Food developed the Earth Regeneration Toolbox: Food for Earth. This tool looks through four macro lenses:
TRUST HUMANA COMMUNITAS PLATFORMS
Going beyond you and me to focus on communities, keeping diversity at its core. Activating and facilitating positive change.
MODELS
Replicating positive results and making impact exponential.
METRICS
Measuring our meaningful impact.
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FOUNDATIONS
Using this tool, Future Food has mapped existing innovations that provide concrete solutions to the environment, starting from regenerating essential resources and studying, that allows different stakeholders to apply best practices to five thematic areas.
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CLIMATE-SMART ECOSYSTEMS
A climate-smart approach is based on principles that assess vulnerabilities to climate change and applying a structured process to design effective adaptation and mitigation strategies, moving from an intensive approach to one with a regenerative approach.
CIRCULAR LIVING
Circular living includes a new mindset for eliminating waste in a continuous use of resources. Circular systems employ recycling, reuse remanufacturing and refurbishment to create a closed system, minimising the use of resource input and the creation of waste. This regenerative approach is in contrast to the traditional linear economy, which has a ‘take, make, dispose’ model of production.
FOOD IDENTITY
Food identities provide a representation of the diversity of placebased cultures who self organize within the city foodscape. Foodscapes are defined as physical, organizational, and socio-cultural spaces in which inhabitants encounter food, and food-related issues. The interaction of different Food Identities determine the overall culture of the places where the Humana Communitas lives, evident in food related behavioural patterns and food experiences.
FOOD DIPLOMACY
Food has been a factor in diplomacy since the very inception of the institution of diplomacy and the modern nation-state in the seventeenth century. Throughout history, states have competed (and at times fought) for control of and access to food and other natural resources, such as water and energy, because they are essential to human survival and inextricably tied to political and economic development.
PROSPERITY
Prosperity is a term of great power that needs to be better understood. Prosperity is not isolated to financial gain but needs to grow to encompass important components including emotional, physical, mental and cultural prosperity. Our understanding of prosperity needs to evolve to carry the weight that it requires. In this new integrated approach to prosperity, we must rethink the indicators and generators of well-being and determine how food and nutrition can act as a tool to create new prosperity. This toolbox works to direct and empower our action for regeneration, going beyond sustainability to restore the whole fabric of life, through the power of food.
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ECOSYSTEM Why, What, How Ecosystem Map Ecosystem Architecture Initiatives
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International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, FFI - Rareche joint event, Vallo della Lucania.
The Future Food Institute believes “climate change is at the end of your fork.” We aspire to be a catalyst, sparking transformation in the way people think about and relate to food.
WHY/PURPOSE
The great challenge of our era is to succeed in protecting our planet by feeding humans in a way that is sustainable, equitable, and nourishing. Humanity can adapt to the changes we are experiencing only by putting the planet at the center.
WHAT/VISION HOW/MISSION
Future Food Institute exists to make exponential positive change, in order to sustainably improve life on Earth, through education and innovation in the global food systems. Knowledge - Training and empowering a new breed of change makers. Community - Connecting stakeholders by inspiring and facilitating glocal action. Innovation - Transforming food systems through prosperitydriven alliances with government and industry.
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ECOSYSTEM MAP UK IRELAND
ICELAND FINLAND
NORWAY
TORONTO
ICELAND FINLAND DENMARK BELGIUM FRANCE AUSTRIA
VALENCIA MOROCCO
UK LITHUANIA SANIRELAND FRANCISCO DENMARK NETHERLANDS POLAND UKRAINE BELGIUM CYPRUS NORWAY GERMANY MEXICO NORWAY FRANCE ICELAND HUNGARY ROMANY ICELAND AUSTRIA CHZECH REPUBLIC HONDURAS FINLAND FINLAND UK TORONTO COSTA RICA UK GREECE IRAQ VALENCIA LITHUANIA NORWAY IRELAND BOLOGNA LITHUANIA TURKEY JORDAN DENMARK IRELAND ICELAND MOROCCO LEBANON DENMARK TO NETHERLANDS VENEZUELA POLLICA POLAND BELGIUM NETHERLANDS POLAND SYRIA UKRAINE UKRAINE GHANA GERMANY BELGIUMFINLAND GERMANY AFGHANISTAN FRANCE UK HUNGARY R TOGO FRANCE CYPRUS NEPAL HUNGARY EGYPT ROMANY ROMANY LITHUANIA COLOMBIA SHANGHAI IRELAND CHZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK AUSTRIA AUSTRIA PAKISTAN CHZECH REPUBLIC NETHERLANDS NDURAS POLAND IRAQ SAUDI ARABIA UKRAINE BELGIUM VALENCIA TORONTO GREECE UAE IRAQ JORDAN GERMANYNIGERIA ECUADOR CONGO GREECE TURKEY BOLOGNA VALENCIA JORDANLEBANON FRANCE MOROCCO BOLOGNA HUNGARY TURKEY TOK ROMANY MOROCCO MUMBAI POLLICA LEBANON ZAM TOKYO SYRIA ETHIOPIA AUSTRIA VENEZUELA POLLICA CHZECH REPUBLIC PHILIPPINES SYRIA GHANA CHENNAI NORWAY AFGHANISTAN PERU IRAQ EGYPT RWANDA GREECE AFGHANISTAN ICELAND CYPRUS TOGO NEPAL VALENCIA CYPRUS JORDAN SHANGHAI NEPAL BOLOGNA KENYA EGYPT TURKEY LEBANON SHANGHAI TOKYO PAKISTAN MOROCCO SINGAPORE FINLAND POLLICA PAKISTAN DURAS SAUDI ARABIA SYRIA UK CONGO SAUDI INDON UAE NIGERIAARABIA LITHUANIA UAE NIGERIA AFGHANISTAN BRAZIL IRELAND ZAMBIA CYPRUS DENMARK MUMBAI NEPAL EGYPT NETHERLANDS ETHIOPIA SHANGHAI VENEZUELA MUMBAI POLAND PAKISTAN UKRAINE BELGIUM PHILIPPINES SOUTH A ETHIOPIA VENEZUELA GHANA CHENNAI GERMANY PHILIPPINES GHANA ZIMBABWE CHENNAI SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE RWANDA TOGO HUNGARY UAE NIGERIA RWANDA ROMANY TOGO KENYACHZECH REPUBLIC AUSTRIA SINGAPORE BRAZIL KENYA MUMBAI SINGAPORE ETHIOPIA CONGO VENEZUELA INDONE IRAQ NTO PHILIPPINES CONGO SOUTH AFRICA GREECE JORDAN INDONESIA GHANA VALENCIA CHENNAI BOLOGNA TURKEY ZAMBIA MOROCCO RWANDA ZAMBIA TOGO LEBANON TOKYO POLLICA SYRIA KENYA NORWAY SINGAPORE AFGHANISTAN ICELAND ZIMBABWEZIMBABWE NEW ZEA CONGO INDONESIA CYPRUS NEPAL EGYPT SHANGHAI ZAMBIA FINLAND BRAZIL PAKISTAN BRAZIL UK S SOUTH AFRICA SAUDI ARABIA UAE LITHUANIA SOUTH AFRICA NIGERIA IRELAND ZIMBABWE DENMARK NETHERLANDS MUMBAI POLAND UKRAINE BELGIUM ETHIOPIA VENEZUELA GERMANY PHILIPPINES BRAZIL GHANA FRANCE CHENNAI NEW ZEAL HUNGARY ROMANY NEW ZEALAND TOGO SOUTH AFRICA RWANDA AUSTRIA KENYA CHZECH REPUBLIC SINGAPORE NTO CONGO GREECE IRAQ INDONESIA VALENCIA BOLOGNA TURKEY JORDAN NEW ZEALAND TOKYO MOROCCO ZAMBIA LEBANON POLLICA SYRIA AFGHANISTAN ZIMBABWE CYPRUS NEPAL EGYPT SHANGHAI PAKISTAN BRAZIL S 22 | 2021 ANNUAL REPORT FUTURE FOOD INSTITUTE SAUDI ARABIA UAE SOUTH AFRICA NIGERIA MUMBAI ETHIOPIA VENEZUELA PHILIPPINES GHANA CHENNAI
D
UK IRELAND
NORWAY
ICELAND FINLAND
DENMARK BELGIUM FRANCE AUSTRIA ICELAND LITHUANIA VALENCIA FINLAND MOROCCO NETHERLANDS
NORWAY
NORWAY
LITHUANIA NETHERLANDS GERMANY HUNGARY CHZECH REPUBLIC
POLAND
UKRAINE
ROMANY
GREECE IRAQ BOLOGNA TURKEY JORDAN LEBANON TOKYO POLLICA UK POLAND SYRIA UKRAINE LITHUANIA GERMANY IRELAND AFGHANISTAN DENMARK NEPAL HUNGARYCYPRUS NETHERLANDS EGYPT POLAND ROMANY UKRAINE BELGIUM SHANGHAI GERMANY PAKISTAN NEW ZEALAND CHZECH REPUBLIC FRANCE SAUDI ARABIA HUNGARY ROMANY UAE NIGERIA AUSTRIA IRAQ CHZECH REPUBLIC GREECE BOLOGNA TURKEY JORDAN IRAQ MUMBAI VENEZUELA SOUTH AFRICA ETHIOPIAGREECE JORDAN VALENCIA PHILIPPINES LEBANON GHANA CHENNAI TOKYO BOLOGNA TURKEY POLLICA MOROCCO BRAZIL LEBANON SYRIARWANDA TOKYO TOGO POLLICA SYRIA AFGHANISTAN KENYA SINGAPORE ZIMBABWE AFGHANISTAN NEPAL CONGO CYPRUS EGYPT INDONESIA NEPAL SHANGHAI SHANGHAI EGYPT ZAMBIA PAKISTAN PAKISTAN ZAMBIA SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI ARABIA UAE NIGERIA INDONESIA NIGERIA CONGO UAE ZIMBABWE SINGAPORE KENYA MUMBAI ETHIOPIA MUMBAI RWANDA PHILIPPINES TOGO GHANABRAZIL OKYO ETHIOPIA CHENNAI CHENNAI PHILIPPINES RWANDA SOUTH AFRICA GHANA CHENNAI TOGO PHILIPPINES VENEZUELA ETHIOPIA RWANDA MUMBAI KENYA SINGAPORE TOKYO CONGO INDONESIA KENYA NIGERIA SAUDI ARABIA UAE SINGAPORE ZAMBIA NEW ZEALAND PAKISTAN OPAL INDONESIA SHANGHAI EGYPT NEPAL SHANGHAI CYPRUS MBIA ZIMBABWE AFGHANISTAN SYRIA POLLICA TOKYO LEBANON BRAZIL MOROCCO TURKEY ZIMBABWE BOLOGNA JORDAN VALENCIASOUTH AFRICA GREECE IRAQ PHILIPPINES NESIA CHZECH REPUBLIC AUSTRIA ROMANY HUNGARY FRANCE AFRICA NEW ZEALAND GERMANY BELGIUMINDONESIA UKRAINE POLAND NETHERLANDS DENMARK IRELAND LITHUANIA UK NEW ZEALAND FINLAND ICELAND NORWAY ALAND NEW ZEALAND
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KNOWLEDGE • EDUCATION
Boot camps
Global missions Masters programs
Books & documentaries
ACADEMY
Digital academy School programs Water Mediterranean foodscape
Cities
Humana communitas
INITI ATIVES
Earth regeneration Food loss & waste
Climate
Nutrition for all
LIVING LAB Future Food Living Lab Tokyo, Japan
Future Food San Francisco
Future Food Living Lab Bologna, Italy
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LAB
Food Alchemist
New product development
R&D INNOVATION
R&D • INNOVATION
Fast prototyping testing & validation
Management of Living Labs & affiliated companies Research & development
EATING LIFESTYLE
Food care food service transformation
Corporate venture building
Prototyping new technology
FUTURE FARM
Artisanal food production
Hackathons Digital marathon
EVENTS & NETWORK
Events
Regenerative farming research
Alumni network
Ambassadors
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ECOSYSTEM
INITIATIVES Future Food has identified eight Initiatives as the main challenges, that we, as humanity, need to address to prosper together. The initiatives are the training grounds, the vehicle by which we move from intention to the realization of our objectives.
WASTE & CIRCULAR SYSTEMS
Promoting circular mindset through reimagination of waste value to facilitate transition to climate-smart cities.
WATER SAFETY & SECURITY
Generating understanding of water scarcity and enabling water sustainability through efficiency projects.
MEDITERRANEAN FOODSCAPE
Protecting cultural epicenter, threatened biodiversity reserve, and treasured lifestyle as a diet and learning tool to build a sustainable future for planet and people.
NUTRITION FOR ALL
Fostering access to essential nutrients through identification of nutritional gaps and development of nourishing new foods that honor cultural identity.
CLIMATE
Catalyzing pro-planet transformation through empowerment of Climate Shapers, industry leaders, and communities to implement actionable initiatives.
EARTH REGENERATION
Facilitating reforestation and biodiversity protection through Future Farm and regeneration projects.
HUMANA COMMUNITAS
Studying the integral role of food in the evolution of thriving societies and investing in platforms that feed cohesion and compassion between planet and people.
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
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Co-creating sustainable urbanity through collaborative “Living Lab” experimentation on synthesis of circular systems and community wellbeing.
FUTURE FOOD INSTITUTE
Fisherman teaching a class during the Food & Climate Shapers Boot Camp in Marettimo. 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 27
03
ACTIONS 2021 Milestones Future Food Breakthroughs Knowledge Community Innovation
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2021 MILESTONES The global Future Food ecosystem collaborates across our organizational pillars to activate food system change throughout the year. Some highlights from 2021 include:
MARCH
Manifesto of values
bit.ly/3EqJRuU
APRIL
Connecting ideas, people and actions
MAY
Integral Ecological Regeneration
NEW GREEN MARSHALL PLAN The culminating dialogue from a year of GoodAfterCovid19 conversations centered on a collaborative Manifesto of Values for a New Green Marshall Plan. Aggregating ideas and suggestions from diverse thinkers, together with Reboot the Future and Franklin University, we developed a list of principles and values that we agree should underlie future innovation to steer redevelopment in the wake of the pandemic. Real and lasting change must first come from a place of shared values.
FOOD FOR EARTH GLOBAL MARATHON With the world still in the grip of the global pandemic, our Food For Earth Global Marathon provided a much needed relay of positivity sharing innovative ideas, connecting communities, and catalyzing action towards implementing solutions for people, planet, and prosperity. The 24-hour virtual event brought together more than 100 expert voices, over 100 thousand participants, and touched countries from east to west in the world’s largest lesson on the regenerative power of food.
PAIDEIA CAMPUS At the center of an ancient village, in the heart of the Mediterranean, we launched the Paideia Campus in Pollica, Cilento - the birthplace of the Mediterranean Diet. It is from here that we begin to model the mindset of Integral Ecology for regeneration, leveraging the traditional wisdom and practices of the Mediterranean lifestyle to spark innovation to realize the concept of “one health.” Everything is connected. This campus was created to teach how to see these connections to design a better future. 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 29
ACTIONS
On the right – Beekeper showing a honeycomb during Trame Mediterranee.
JUNE
Being the Change
JULY
Breaking down to build back better
DECEMBER
Innovation driven Regeneration
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G20 MINSTERIAL SESSIONS To highlight the missed opportunity for the G20 ministerial sessions to address the climate crisis, Future Food organized a series of global side events focused on the relationship between food and climate. Hosting policymakers, innovators, associations, and academics, these events demonstrated our deep commitment to fighting climate change and raising awareness at the highest levels. These events served to hold government leaders accountable to implementing decisive investment and action towards addressing climate change.
NUTRITION UNPACKED To better understand the drivers of malnutrition, in a co-branded project with Dole, we broke down assumptions to uncover the underlying causes of global nutrition inequality and identify actionable outcomes. The Nutrition Unpacked research project unpacks four drivers of malnutrition, specifically: Social Nutrition, Hidden Hunger, the Ecosystem, and the Food Generation Gap. By breaking down preconceived notions of nutrition, and connecting with local stakeholders, we are better able to understand how to rebuild our food system to provide adequate nutrition for all.
INNOVATION HUB Small towns in southern Italy are grappling with compounded challenges of extreme weather events, depopulation, and hyper sesonalized tourism. Our partnership initiative, the Bravo Innovation Hub, works within these local communities to provide startup expertise and access to support local entrepreneurs in the development of new business models, focused on agroinnovation, that serve to regenerate the landscape and the communities. Built around the Prosperity Thinking mindset, this program supports ideas and people with the skills needed to make actionable change for humanity and the planet.
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ACTIONS
2021 IN NUMBERS
A year full of changing mindsets, envisioning new models, promoting balanced approaches, and catalyzing positive impact across global food systems is possible only through a profusion of individual touchpoints. Each person and moment is an opportunity to spark a shift and be the change.
1
1
New Campus
Global Award
Most Innovative
Study Abroad (GoAbroad)
in Pollica, Cilento
Study Center, School, and Mediterranean Lab to connect innovation with community outreach for a transition to Inegral Ecological Regeneration.
29683
participants in academic & digital
training programs
3
Academic credits
available for Boot Camp completion through the University of Nebraska - Lincoln
100
hours of
instruction
with global thinkers and doers sharing inspiration
more sustainable food systems.
for
312
People trained in presence at our Paideia Campus
on Prosperity Thinking, Integral Ecology and Regeneration. High school students, young innovators, educators and teachers, policy makers, industry leaders, startuppers.
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48 368
hours of Global Suppers connecting people and cultures through kitchens around the world
Speakers
including 32 ministers
have joined our conversations sharing their ideas and initiatives for improving the world through food
8
Food and Climate Shaper Boot Camps
4 Digital ed, 2 Mediterranean ed, 2 Teachers ed,
filled with intense conversations,
connections, and revelations.
122
New Digital “Climate Shapers” Boot Camp Alumni
equipped with ideas and skills
to engage communities
39 55847
217
Climate Shapers
Diverse countries involved
in connecting purpose to action
Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, and Zimbabwe.
Online attendees from around the world
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ACTIONS
23
957 in presence event
participants
27
G20 & PreCOP26 Events
engaging in topics from climate change to the role of women
in agriculture
Farmers involved,
actively regenerating soils
Inspiring us and the next generation of food system change-makers by safeguarding traditions and innovating for the future; actively involved in our Paideia Campus, Pollica, Cilento.
8
research
initiatives
Water Safety & Security Climate Earth Regeneration Mediterranean Foodscape Nutrition for All Food Loss and Waste Cities of the Future Humana Communitas
serving as the vehicle by which we move from intuition to the realization of our objectives spanning the main challenges humanity faces.
21
climate-mindful
tasty dinners
encouraging community understanding of the beauty and complexity of our food systems through conviviality and connection to the territory.
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25
56
Innovation projects completed
that marry human and planetary needs.
Community events in Pollica preserving, promoting, and celebrating the values of the
Mediterranean Diet
90
Publications
(articles, white papers, and position papers)
providing insights and reflections on topics from food waste and loss to social justice to climate-friendly innovations spread across outlets such as Medium, Nova, Huffington Post, The Map, Appraisal at Present, International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, Premio Letterario Giuseppe Mazzotti, International Conference on Engineering Design.
1
Food for Earth 24h Marathon
FFI and FAO e-learning Academy organized the second edition of the 24-hours Global Digital Marathon on Sustainability entitled, “Food for Earth”. The global event brought together bright minds and good practices on sustainable food systems for regenerating the Planet.
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Hackathon projects using the Prosperity Thinking approach to develop innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 35
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FUTURE FOOD BREAKTHROUGHS Fresh, new ideas and activity generated during 2021 that we are particularly proud of. These initiatives represent the creative breakthroughs towards the realization of our purpose to drive exponential positive change in global food systems.
PAIDEIA CAMPUS To build on the veritable laboratory of land and marine biodiversity in Cilento, the Future Food Institute inaugurated the Paideia Campus. Located in Pollica, the capital of the Mediterranean Diet, this cultural project has its origins in the 6th century BC and intersects multiple disciples. It is here in the heart of the Mediterranean where one can learn a new type of sociality and live the concept of integral ecology, a regenerative approach to face the transition necessary to achieve the Goals of the 2030 Agenda, in lifestyle and
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development models of which the Mediterranean Diet is the most concrete example. This project has three action areas:
KNOWLEDGE
Training agents of change and enhancing the value of artistic and cultural heritage.
COMMUNITY
Combatting the depopulation of villages by implementing a process of territorial regeneration. Connecting global stakeholders and inspiring and implementing local actions.
INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Creating prosperity by supporting young entrepreneurs, farmers, and institutions in innovation processes for sustainable development.upcycling process.
Through these action areas, the campus orients its activity around six fundamental themes: History Science & Innovation Ecology Biodiversity Conviviality Art & Culture
Within the Innovation & Entrepreneurship area is the Pollica Living Lab, led by the integral ecological approach, to generate prosperity through the empowerment of a new entrepreneurial culture based on cooperation and regenerative approach in the following areas.
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ECOSYSTEM | REGENERATION Food & Environment • Regenerative agriculture, sustainable fishing and farming • Blue Economy • Biodiversity Enhancement • Valorization of water resources • Circular Economy The Ecosystem Regeneration Lab focuses on designing, experimenting, prototyping, and testing new solutions for the regeneration of soils and ecosystems. Using technology as an instrument at the service of the community, this lab creates new tools that make agriculture, livestock breeding, and fishing more sustainable. It also feeds rural development to help combat depopulation and mitigate business risks - especially for agricultural realities - due to climate change. The Lab hosts training programs for farmers of the Mediterranean Area, developing a regenerative culture to combat desertification and develop resilience and adaptability to climate change in the Mediterranean food value webs.
On the right – View of Pollica, Cilento from the Princes Capano Castle. Below – Inner courtyard at the Princes Capano Castle in Pollica, Cilento, Italy.
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COMMUNITY | SMART LIVING Tourism & Lifestyle • Climate-smart living • Hospitality & Sustainable Tourism • Repopulation of Italian villages and rural areas through the prototyping of services to facilitate the use of the territory • Valorization of the UNESCO heritage. Within the area of Community Smart Living are two dedicated labs: the Mediterranean Mind Lab and the Smart Living Lab. The Mediterranean Mind Lab studies environmental parameters in conjunction with the vital parameters of individuals to analyze the level of well-being of the community and support strategic decisions of local government. The Lab will follow the 3D impact model to make the outputs of the experimentation more clear, operational, concrete, and replicable for professionals in social innovation networks and for municipalities in the internal Italian areas. The Smart Living Lab is a laboratory that incubates technologies and solutions aimed at community well-being. This Lab, in collaboration with Tim Strasser of Maastricht University, applies
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the 3D Impact Tool which measures the transformative impact and transformative capacity that local and regional policies have on the community, measured according to: • Depth - how broad and coherent, from the point of view of the wider influence, the action analyzed is. • Expansion - how much the action analyzed is structurally and culturally rooted. • Persistence - how much the action generates persistent effects and can generate evolutions over time.
INDIVIDUAL | HEALTH & HERITAGE Mediterranean Diet • The laboratory of research and experimentation on: - anthropological research - nutritional value, longevity, microbiome - product development • Promotion and diffusion of mediterranean diet ethos and traditions. Within the area of Individual Health and Heritage there are three dedicated labs: the MedEatResearch Lab, the Mediterranean Communication Lab, and the Mediterranean Food Lab. MedEatResearch, Center for Social Research on the Mediterranean Diet, founded in April 2012, aims to enhance, promote, and disseminate the food heritage of Southern Italy and encourage cultural exchanges on food and wine of different countries in the Mediterranean area. The MedEatResearch Lab will be an integral part of the Paideia Campus, to create synergies between the different departments, laboratories, and programs. The Mediterranean Communication Lab is a research laboratory on communication processes and techniques in the food sector and their effects at both the individual and collective levels. The objective is to explore the processes of action and institutionalization behind food behavior, and the interconnected, aggregate dynamics of food supply and demand, with the aim of arriving at models of understanding these. The reference point selected is that of the individual, the smallest, but most powerful link in the chain. The Mediterranean Food Lab researches and experiments on Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the Mediterranean area, to regenerate ancestral traditions that contain the knowledge 40 | 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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related to the production and processing of healthy and sustainable food products, to make them accessible to the general public through the design of new/old products and innovation of the production process. The Mediterranean Food Lab was born as a spinoff of the Food Alchemist Lab, the Future Food research and development laboratory to support industry in the research, creation, and prototyping of healthy and sustainable products, and is a capillary arm for research and development in the Mediterranean. Areas of research: • anthropological research • nutritional value, longevity, microbiome • product development.
KNOWLEDGE & EDUCATION
COMMUNITY & SOCIAL COHESION
INNOVATION
. . .
LIVING LAB FOR INTEGRAL ECOLOGICAL REGENERATION
P
hy si ca l
En v
Climate Change & Water Security
Longevity Water saving & efficient water management
ECOSYSTEM
Preservation of the Mediterranean iconic value chain
Circular living
Agricultural resilience & adaptation
HEALTH
IDENTITY
Nutrition & Consumption Livelihood
Climate-Smart Farming
Food markets & canteens
Sustainable Tourism Digital Health
Blue economy Decarbonizing agriculture
Economic development
COMMUNITY
FOOD
Ecological knowledge
Personal well being
t
Climate-Smart Agriculture
Biodiversity valorization
Mediterranean Food Lab
Urban Digital Transformation
n me ron
Food loss & Waste Prevention
i Env
Circular economy
Regeneration Lab
Long Life Lab
Sustainable transport
Nutrition For All Initiative
Biophilia Science of Happiness
Smart Living Lab Mediterranean Mind Lab - neuroscience -
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l Socia
iro nm ent
Mediterranean Media Lab Food security & sustainable production
ACTIONS
KNOWLEDGE Training and empowering a new breed of change makers. Through innovative, research-backed initiatives, programs, boot camps, global missions, executive education, schoolbased events, FF trains the next generation of changemakers, empowers communities, and engages government and industry in actionable innovation, catalyzing progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
TRAME MEDITERRANEE (MEDITERRANEAN WOVEN TALES) This program was developed to educate and foster the spread of a culture of sustainability within schools, particularly among students in the 3rd and 4th year of high school. It aims to help them understand the mechanisms useful to implement strategies for sustainable economic development in the medium and long term. It also exposes them to long-term sustainable economic development strategies, while also raising awareness
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of the role that businesses and professions can play in supporting this path. Built on the values at the core of the Mediterranean Diet and Integral Ecology approach, the program utilizes participatory and hands-on experiences and connections with the local community for real-world application.
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Thanks to the collaboration of different areas of local entrepreneurship the program instills an awareness of intergenerational relations and appreciation of trans-disciplinarity knowledge, helping them to identify their talents and vocations in relation to job opportunities. The project guides them in their understanding of emerging professions and of the relevant specialist skills required, demonstrating how sustainability is not only about the environment but also about the correct use of means, digital and otherwise, as well as the quality of social and work relations. First created as a pilot project for agricultural and hospitality high schools in Italy, it was approved by the vice-secretary of the Italian Education Ministry. 23 teenagers were involved in the program, as well as 15 professors, who jointly attended a hackathon and redesigned the programs for this school year. The experience was then further refined in August into a cycle of nine dinners, one for each iconic Mediterranean food value chain, to bring the values to the wider public.
PAIDEIA CAMPUS FIELD SCHOOL Three days of inspiration, scenarios, and co-planning to design together the future of schools in transition towards integral ecological regeneration. The focus of the program was to rediscover the community dimension of knowledge, the relational dimension of life, the freedom and the taste for knowledge with 45 students and three teachers from the Nomentano Roma High School.
On the left – Fishing experience during Trame Mediterranee. 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 43
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COSMOPOLITES Cosmopolites is a free educational project aimed at students and teachers of the three-year period of secondary schools that provides useful tools for the introduction of civic education teaching, a subject provided for by Law No. 92 of 20 August 2019 and presented by the Ministerial Guidelines. The Cosmopolites program proposes a training and activities path to help students and teachers of upper secondary school to understand the world we inhabit to discover themselves as protagonists within the great changes taking place. Beginning with more than 40,000 high school students across Italy, the program culminated in a wide-scale Hackathon with students developing prototypes to address specific challenges.
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Final project presentation during a school trip at the Paideia Campus.
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PATHWAYS FOR TRANSVERSAL SKILLS AND ORIENTATION (PCTO) ON INTEGRAL ECOLOGY AND MEDITERRANEITY Promoted by the Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research (MIUR), this was a training program that allowed students of high schools as well as technical and professional institutes to spend a period of time in direct contact with the reality of work. This initiative derives from ad hoc activity at companies or institutions of the Public Administration. The PCTO is a teaching method that, through practical experience, helps high school students to consolidate the knowledge acquired at school and to apply and assess their aptitudes while enriching their education and orienting their course of study.
ITALIAN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION - GREEN COMMUNITY MEMBER In recognition of Future Food’s academic and training programs, we were invited to join the Ministry of Education’s Green Community. This program intends to enhance, systematize, and implement projects and activities already in place in schools, identify and disseminate good practices, and offer a broad repository of tools and opportunities to systematically address environmental challenges. The School Re-Generation plan consists of four interconnected pillars: • regeneration of knowledge, • behavior regeneration, • regeneration of physical and digital infrastructures, • opportunity regeneration. The Green Community supports the government and schools in the implementation of initiatives in the following areas: ecological transition, civic education, environmental, food, sustainable development, health and correct lifestyles, also connected to the different environmental contexts of school institutions.
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Food & Climate Shapers Boot Camp - Mediterranean Edition session. Next page – Food & Climate Shapers Boot Camp - Marettimo, Sicily.
FOOD & CLIMATE SHAPER BOOT CAMPS Developed in collaboration with FAO, the Food & Climate Shaper Boot Camps aim to identify, train and engage “Climate Shapers,” bringing together change-makers from around the world to codesign tangible strategies and innovations accelerating action on climate and SDGs and facilitating the transition of the broader society toward the sustainable development framework.
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The goals of the learning journey are:
PROTECTING THE PLANET EMPOWERING PEOPLE ENABLING PROSPERITY
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Co-design tangible strategies and innovations accelerating action on climate and SDGs Train and inspire a new bread of innovators to action Leave an impactful legacy to the hosting communities.
FUTURE FOOD INSTITUTE
DIGITAL EDITION The Digital Boot Camp (DBC) participants (Climate Shapers) are empowered to take action during the Boot Camp within their ecosystem engaging with their local community. Not only is the curriculum enriched by featuring local initiatives but it also teaches the Climate Shapers how to connect, and potentially collaborate, with other actors in their food systems. The challenge-based learning provides them with the experience in how to identify food system problems, research, ideate, prototype and deliver actionable solutions. A few of the hackathon teams are still working on the idea they developed during the program. To date, the Digital Boot Camp has produced 139 graduates from four editions. This year, the program was recognized with the Most Innovative New Program Study Abroad Award by GoAbroad.com and it was shortlisted by QS - Reimagine Education for the Best Online Program award. Both of these recognitions further validate the quality provided through this unique learning experience. Additionally, the team finalized an accreditation agreement with the University of Nebraska - Lincoln allowing qualified North American students to earn university credits upon successful completion of the program.
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MEDITERRANEAN EDITION Held at our Paideia Campus in Pollica, the Mediterranean edition trains Climate Shapers to prototype new solutions to regenerate the Mediterranean area through food innovation. By training another group of Climate Shapers, we are growing a strong community that leverages food as a tool to adapt and mitigate climate change. 44 speakers, 21 Food and Climate Shapers, and four hackathon projects to regenerate soils and seas, ensure an ethical nutrition for all, and export the core values of Mediterranean Diet and Integral Ecology to all.
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MARETTIMO EDITION The Boot Camp held on the Sicilian island of Marettimo focused on climate-smart oceans by supporting nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation, increasing the efforts to protect and conserve marine life, and reducing anthropogenic water contamination. This was our inaugural Boot Camp conducted in Marettimo, the most extreme and unpolluted of the archipelago islands and part of the largest Marine Reserve in Europe (53,992 ha). Future Food chose Marettimo as a symbol of the Mediterranean, where biodiversity of flora and fauna are rich and unique. In line with the exponential positive change embedded in every Future Food activity, twenty-five Climate Shapers developed solutions to solve the island community’s problems for marine and terrestrial habitat defense and resident resilience.
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COSMOPOLITES BOOT CAMP - THE MEDITERRANEAN CITIZEN Aimed at Italian high school students, this Boot Camp included four days of inspiration, scenarios, and co-planning to design together the future of schools in transition towards integral ecological regeneration. The program involved the discovery of the roots and values of the Mediterranean Diet as more than just a food model, but rather a true philosophy, lifestyle, and mindset. It also worked to familiarize and build relationships with the custodians of food and cultural biodiversity of the territory, acting, experimenting, and becoming ambassadors of the Heritage of Humanity and Mediterranean citizenship. On the right – S.O.F.I.A. Teachers’ training, courtyard of Princes Capano Castle. 48 | 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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EMILIA-ROMAGNA TEACHERS BOOT CAMP Conducted at the Paideia Campus in Pollica, this program was designed to engage teachers and education leaders in a whole new and “contemporary” way and to let them discover how today’s and tomorrow’s professions will help us develop a more sustainable economy.
SOFIA PROGRAM - THE TERRITORY TEACHES: PRINCIPLES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND THE REGINEM SALERNITANUM FOR THE 2030 AGENDA In 2015, the Italian government introduced compulsory professional training for teachers in schools of all levels. Anyone who teaches and is tenured in public institutions, therefore, is required to attend one of the initiative trainings in line with what is established by the National Plan and the school of reference each year. To facilitate teachers to find all the necessary information on the available courses, the Ministry of Education has created SOFIA, a dedicated online platform. Within this framework, Future Food conducted a three-day re-skilling program with 13 local schools. On each day, we co-designed the future of school programs of the territory with 50 teachers, merging the core values of the Mediterranean Diet with the SDGs of the Agenda 2030.
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THINK4FOOD ACADEMY Through a series of six webinars on topics related to innovation and sustainable development for the agri-food supply chain, Think4Food was a project to connect agri-food companies with startups, researchers, and university students who have innovative ideas for sustainable development, as defined by the 17 SDGs of the UN 2030 Agenda. The webinars were aimed at cooperative enterprises, startups, university spinoffs, students, research centers and the entire agri-food innovation ecosystem to get them close to topics such as design and prosperity thinking, nutrition and innovation, best practices in the agri-food innovation, agri-food supply chain design, and the links between climate, food, and the SDGs. Think4Food was a project of Legacoop Bologna, realized through the contribution of the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna and in collaboration with Legacoop Agroalimentare, Confcooperative Bologna, Legacoop Imola, AlmaVicoo, Almacube, Innovacoop, Art-ER, Fondazione Fico and Impronta Etica. Workshop sessions included: • Design Thinking, Prosperity Thinking, and Systemic Approach • Nutrition of the Past, the Present, and the Future • Speaking to the New Generations between Z and the Sustainable Natives • Innovation in Agri-food Systems: Examples and Best Practices Design for the Agri-food Chain • Relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals and Food.
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COMMUNITY Connecting stakeholders by inspiring and facilitating glocal action. Providing valuable touchpoints within our local communities and with our partners, Future Food creates and reimagines purposedriven methods to engage people, open conversations, and facilitate commitment towards addressing global food systems.
G20 FOOD FOR EARTH MINISTERIAL SESSIONS Food For Earth is the long term partnership between the Future Food Institute and FAO, a collaboration that aims to accelerate the ecological transition of global agri-food systems, empowering and connecting change-makers, scientists, innovators, industries, the broader society, and policymakers. Considering the strategic importance of the Italian Presidency of the G20, the Food for Earth G20 edition was launched to support the government with a series of official side-events to ensure that world leaders listen not only to voices representing government, business sectors, youth, women, civil society, and science, but also to the proposals and demands of those
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ACTIONS
responsible for Feeding the Planet - feeders, farmers, and food producers, because the “great challenge of our era is to succeed in protecting our planet, by feeding humans in a healthy way and by taking care of the ecosystem that hosts us.” Food for Earth G20 edition wanted to support the foundations for future prosperity and reduce the risks of future pandemics, certain that for this occasion, it is necessary to activate all the positive forces of civil society and create public-private alliances, to foster exponential positive change in order to sustainably improve life on Earth.
1. FOOD FOR EARTH: G20 EDITION - EDUCATION AND LABOR Coinciding with the Education Ministers’ Meeting, the Labor and Employment Ministers’ Meeting, and the Labor and Employment and Education Joint Ministerial Session held in Catania under the G20 framework, Future Food Institute organized a dense agenda of official side events in Palazzo Biscari, Catania, that focused on the relationship between food and climate from one hand, and education and labor on the other hand, and their role in local and global agri-food systems. Food and climate literacy must be included in the governments’ agendas, so that it becomes a priority, without which there will be no ecological transition, no sustainable development, and no global prosperity.
2. FOOD FOR EARTH: G20 EDITION - INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT In tandem with the Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting, the ad-hoc Development Session, and the Foreign and Development Joint Ministerial Session held in Matera under the G20 framework, Future Food Institute organized a comprehensive schedule of official side events at the Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Matera. The event explored how to redesign agri-food systems, from a scientific perspective, with the presentation of the World Food Forum’s official T20 paper; from a policy and decision-making perspective and finally, recognizing the importance of how we think and teach about food systems.
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Our mission is to support FAO in the Food Coalition, designed to help promote the transformation of agri-food systems to make them more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable, with the intention of turning this emergency into an opportunity to reconsider and re-imagine the way we produce and consume food. This event also served as a platform for inclusion and visibility in support of the growing number of interventions FAO is implementing, with particular focus on the role of international cooperation.
2. FOOD FOR EARTH: G20 EDITION - ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND ENERGY On the occasion of the Environment, Climate and Energy Ministers’ Meeting held in Naples under the G20 framework, Future Food Institute organized an official side event at Città della Scienza in Naples, and Castello dei Principi Capano in Pollica. The essence of the first event in Naples was Food as the ultimate nexus to foster sustainable development and facilitate the transition to a more environmentally sound, energy efficient, and climate resilient future. This appointment highlighted the central role that the agri-food sector plays in climate change, how it is both partially responsible for it but also how it can promote innovation, responsible production, and conscious
Sara Roversi at FAO G20 Green Garden, Rome. 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 53
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G20 Environment, Climate and Energy, Palazzo Donn’Anna, Naples.
consumption. The second appointment of the official side event, held in Pollica, focused on the strategic role of the Mediterranean Diet as a concrete example to be promoted for a reconciliation between humanity and nature, and for a renewed acknowledgement of the role of humanity in the environment. In line with the three pillars of the G20, the event centered on Planet, People, and Prosperity, and highlighted the role of food as the real nexus connecting the spheres of sustainability.
VI ITALIAN CUISINE WEEK: INNOVATE FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE The VI Week of Italian Cuisine in the World was celebrated from 22 to 28 November. It included a series of initiatives coordinated by the Directorate General for the Promotion of the Country System of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the support of over 300 Italian Embassies and Consulates from all geographical areas of the planet. During the events, the themes of quality, sustainability, culture, and food safety were promoted in a variety of forms, as well as the right to food, education, identity, territory, and biodiversity. The initiative is part of the “Vivere Italiano” (Live Italian) plan, launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to build new synergies between public and private sectors, in order to achieve an integrated promotion of the country. The theme that the Week of Italian Cuisine promoted this year concerned “Tradition and perspectives of Italian cuisine: awareness and enhancement of food sustainability.” 54 | 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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Future Food Institute, with the Municipality of Pollica and the Mediterranean Diet Study Center “Angelo Vassallo,” supported the government initiative by promoting a calendar of events involving eight Italian embassies, consulates, prestigious cultural institutes, and private organizations of the foreign and national panorama. Everyone witnessed the dynamics related to Italian cuisine, innovation and the Mediterranean Diet as the glue between Italy and the world. The initiative took place in nine different stages from east to west: San Francisco, Washington, Nur-Sultan, Zagabria, Berlin, Tokyo, New Delhi, Santiago del Chile and landed in Brindisi, Italy.
SAN FRANCISCO
FOOD OF THE FUTURE: SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION
Lessons bridging Italy and the US was co-organized by the Italian Consulate in San Francisco, the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco, and Future Food Institute and included the participation of Sergio Strozzi (Italian Consul General in San Francisco), Sara Roversi (President, Future Food Institute), Michelle Sisson (Senior Product Marketing Manager, Apeel Sciences), and Greg Drescher (VP of Strategic Initiatives, CIA).
WASHINGTON
FOOD AND SUSTAINABILITY was organized by the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C., together with the Future Food Institute, Food for Soul, and Ambasciatori del Gusto and included the participation of Mariangela Zappia (Ambassador of Italy to the US), Alexious Butler (Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator, USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security), Sara Roversi (President of Future Food Institute), Cristina Bowerman (Michelin-starred Chef and President of the Italian Association “Ambasciatori del Gusto”), Laura Maria Ferrari (President of Ferrari Giovanni Industria Casearia SPA and Counselor of the Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano), Laurel Evans (Food Blogger), and Lara Gilmore (President of Food for Soul).
NUR-SULTAN
A three-day physical mission organized by the Embassy of Italy in Kazakhstan together with the Future Food Institute, “S. Seifullin” Kazakh Agrotechnical University, Haileybury Astana, the Republican Diagnostic Center – UMC of Nur-Sultan and La Cucina Italiana to discuss agriculture, health, hospitality, and activism in the name of the Mediterranean Diet.
CHILE
GASTRONOMÍA SUSTENTABLE & DIETA MEDITERRÁNEA included a series of events organized by the Embassy of Italy in Santiago del Chile together with the Italian Institute of Culture in Chile that included the participation of Sara Roversi (President of the Future Food Institute) and Francisco Alvarez Ron (Manager of the Food Alchemist Lab of the Future Food Institute). 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 55
BERLIN
THE FUTURE OF ITALIAN FOOD THROUGH INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY was organized by the Embassy of Italy in Berlin
together with Future Food Institute and Dock3- Startup Lab with the participation of 10 Italian startups, four of which were brought by the Future Food Institute from the Bravo Innovation Hub program of Invitalia.
ZAGABRIA
TRADITION AND PERSPECTIVES OF ITALIAN CUISINE: AWARENESS AND ENHANCEMENT OF FOOD SUSTAINABILITY was organized
by the Embassy of Italy in Zagabria, with the contribution of the Future Food Institute for the photo exhibition on Mediterranean Diet.
TOKYO
LIFESTYLES FOR HUMAN AND PLANET PROSPERITY: CONNECTIONS BETWEEN MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND OKINAWA DIET was organized by the Future Food Institute with I Love Italian Food, under the auspices of the Embassy of Italy in Tokyo, with the participation of Gianluigi Benedetti (Ambassador of Italy in Tokyo), Stefano Pisani (Mayor of Pollica), Elisabetta Moro (Co-director, MedEatResearch and Professor, University Suor Orsola Benincasa), Craig Willcox (Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Science), and Luca Fantin (Italian Michelin-Starred Chef of “Il Ristorante - Luca Fantin” at the Bulgari Ginza Tower in Tokyo).
NEW DELHI
THE FUTURE OF FOOD SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE EYES OF ITALIAN AND INDIAN START-UPS was organized by the Future
Food Institute with the Embassy of Italy in India and Good Food Institute with the participation of H.E. Vincenzo de Luca (Ambassador of Italy to India), Sara Roversi (President of Future Food Institute), Varun Deshpande (Managing Director for Good Food Institute), along with three Italian startups and three Indian startups.
BRINDISI
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The closing event of the week was held in conjunction with the open innovation event of the Bravo Innovation Hub program.
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VISIONS IN FOOD INNOVATION VOL.8 RECLAIMING FOOD SOVEREIGNTY THROUGH THE COMMONS The “Visions in Food Innovation” was a webinar series organized by Wired Japan together with Sigmaxyz, inviting renowned local and global guests, discussing the issue of food and well-being from various perspectives. The moderators were Michiaki Matsushima (Wired), Akiko Okada (Sigmaxyz), and Hirotakai Tanaka (Sigmaxyz). With Sara Roversi, Founder and President of Future Food Institute, the conversation focused on how we can strategically reverse climate change through regenerative food systems and reclaim food sovereignty. Some topics covered were: how the pandemic shifted our attitudes towards food sovereignty, regenerative models in Dubai (the Foodtech Valley, Sustainable City), and how food companies can change the food system. It was a significant event, since Sara and FF’s ideas were communicated on Wired Japan’s platform via the webinar and in an article. Regeneration is a term that isn’t yet widely used in Japan and its food industry, so the ideas and examples in the conversation would have been very inspiring and interesting for the Japanese audience. We were also able to mention our Japn Boot Camp in the article, with a link to our Kyobashi Living Lab website. The event supports FF’s mission to share knowledge and elevate people’s literacies on sustainable food systems, and also to further strengthen our presence in Japan.
PAIDEIA CAMPUS PLEDGE FOR BIODIVERSITY This initiative inserts the Paideia Campus into the international list of pledges that support and implement the Convention for Biodiversity (CBD). Our Paideia Campus has now been listed in the CBD and given the opportunity to participate in the international Biodiversity Summit to be held in Davos in July 2022.
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FUTURE FOOD INSTITUTE
UNFSS INDEPENDENT DIALOGUE DAWN OF WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE: TECHNOLOGY AS AN ENABLER This event was held to contribute to the Food Systems Summit on the important theme of women empowerment in agriculture, and to investigate the role of technology as a tool for guaranteeing equal female access to improved and sustainable agriculture segments and practices. Future Food Institute and MoooFarm brought together impactful thinkers and doers around the table to propose pathways towards: • bridging the gender gaps in agricultural technology. • better understanding the positive impacts of women-run agripreneurship. • increasing education and awareness to guarantee female access to technology. In a web of complexity in which the increasing phenomenon of feminization of poverty intersects with gender inequality in the workforce, informal work, unequal access to resources, education, technology, and financial tools compared to men, empowering the role of women in agriculture takes us one step closer to achieving our goal of making our food system more inclusive and sustainable.
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This dialogue was a great opportunity to collect different voices to address this challenge. Future Food scouted for participants with a very inclusive viewpoint, ensuring that every person involved in this topic, no matter the level of their role, had an equal voice in the dialogue. A variety of participants were invited from both large-scale commercial and small-holder backgrounds to ensure that the change we need in the system is ignited at every level. Participants came from diverse backgrounds including, but not limited to, the livestock industry, agroforestry, education, food processing, and the government sectors. Our facilitators also came from different disciplines and ensured that every participant could feel comfortable in sharing their opinion. We complemented the work of various other institutes such as FAO, CGIAR, World Bank, etc., by researching their efforts and understanding how we could support them. The dialogue process itself ensured that participants from different backgrounds and stakeholder groups could build connections and collaborate towards common goals. We developed an Official Dialogue Feedback to the United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit, with the insights of the six discussion groups, meant to help the Summit propose individual and collective action towards the overarching objective of a future that is sustainable, equitable, and secure.
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FUTURE FOOD INSTITUTE
MEDITERRANEAN DIET UNESCO CULTURAL HERITAGE SECRETARIAT More than ten years after the UNESCO appointment, awareness has grown on how the Mediterranean Diet is a veritable wealth of science, traditional knowledge, skills, and customs. Mediterraneity, is a set of universal values, capable of safeguarding the biological and cultural heritage and developing resilience for the future. A concept that incorporates knowledge, identity, and biodiversity in the Mediterranean way of life, highlighting the synergies that have been created through 2,500 years of co-evolution between environment and society. In partnership with representatives from each of the seven emblematic communities of the Mediterranean Diet, Future Food is leading a task force to safeguard this intangible heritage of humanity and to promote its possibilities to the world. A new website extolling the history, people and stories, cultural and natural assets of the Mediterranean Diet is being launched. The coalition works collaboratively to cross-promote research, initiatives, and events related to the Mediterranean Diet.
NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS NETWORK Future Food was selected to become a member of the New European Bauhaus Network, a creative and interdisciplinary initiative, convening a space of encounter to design future ways of living, situated at the crossroads between art, culture, social inclusion, science, and technology. It brings the Green Deal to our living places and calls for a collective effort to imagine and build a future that is sustainable, inclusive and beautiful for our minds and for our souls.” We are honored to work alongside other like-minded organizations striving to create inclusive, accessible spaces, sustainable solutions, and enriching experiences.
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FOOD FOR EARTH DAY GLOBAL MARATHON To celebrate the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, Future Food, in partnership with FAO, shared knowledge and expertise on food systems and their impacts from social, cultural, environmental, institutional, and economic points of view through a virtual marathon. The lessons learned during Food for Earth Day are the basis for rethinking business as usual to achieve systemic thinking, multi-stakeholder platforms, and multidisciplinary profiles. The marathon represented a unique example both of extraordinary content, which has been collected into a book, and of the power of partnership between the public and private sectors to contribute to new, circular, and regenerative practices. The FFI/FAO 2021 Marathon was part of the initiatives organized by the Earth Day Network (www.earthday.org), a movement of more than 75,000 partners in over 190 countries to drive positive action for our planet, funded, among others, by the World Bank, and fully endorsed by President Joe Biden. As the largest worldwide lesson on the regenerative power of food systems ever broadcasted, this relay of positivity and goodness, traveled like an ideal Olympic torch, from East to West, passing from indigenous people that reflect the identity of entire territories to entrepreneurs, startups, scientists, journalists, young leaders, policymakers, consultants, and farmers. The torch crossed through Australia, South Korea,
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Indonesia, India, China, Japan, Singapore, Turkey, Iceland, Antarctica, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Senegal, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, UK, Germany, South Africa, Zimbabwe, USA, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Canada. This second digital edition was also enriched with in-person activities: our Climate Shapers from around the world were engaged in more than 100 real Climate Actions, broadcasted on their social media accounts. The event brought together more than 140 expert voices, speaking on the importance of sustainable food systems in the regeneration of the planet, with 34 main work sessions, in English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
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PRECOP26 FOOD4CLIMATE On the occasion of the “Pre-COP26” and the international event dedicated to young people on climate called “Youth4Climate2021,” Future Food brought people together to discuss the fight against climate change. The events held at the Triennale were officially part of the “All4Climate - Italy 2021” program of the Ministry of Ecological Transition: the calendar of meetings on climate change aimed at promoting 2021 as the year of the Climate Ambition. The events were carried out respectively in collaboration with Connect4Climate, the World Bank program, and Finish. 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 63
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FOOD LOSS AND WASTE. THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE FOR A SUSTAINABLE TOMORROW The event took place during the World Day of Awareness on Food Waste and Loss, whose UN resolution was implemented by the European Union representation to the UN and the Embassies of San Marino and Andorra, with which Future Food Institute directly collaborated in 2019. A rich panel of speakers and testimonies to see how food loss and waste can represent opportunities to accelerate transitions and the role of food and climate literacy at school. As part of the project, Future Food also hosted a delegation of 30 students from the Institute of Higher Education “Lazzaro Spallanzani” of Castelfranco Emilia, to participate in a Hackathon on the relationship between food waste and climate change.
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WATER IN OUR HANDS: TERRITORIES, COMMUNITIES AND FUTURE This event was organized as part of the “Water in Our Hands” project, in collaboration with Finish, which aims to guide citizens and companies to adopt new consumption habits to protect and safeguard water and to raise awareness of the protection of water resources in agriculture. Before the panel, the Food Alchemist Lab team organized a food waste experience, based on the valorization of waste and circular economy.
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FIGHTING THE CLIMATE CRISIS: THE ROLE OF YOUTH AND EDUCATION Broadcast live on YouTube, the event featured speakers from a variety of organizations including FAO eLearning Academy, States General for Women, Bicocca, Ypard, and Change for plant sharing insights on the role that education and young people play in fighting the climate crisis.
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Future Food Circle event in Scuderia Living Lab, Bologna.
FUTURE FOOD CIRCLE Future Food Circle is a community event launched in partnership with SIGMAXYZ - founder of Smart Kitchen Summit Japan, to share knowledge, insights, and vision from food innovators around the world and to take action together. Through this event series, we highlighted key voices and expanded our mission and food community, especially in Asia. Over 600 engaged attendees deepened relationships with key stakeholders in Asian food innovation (i.e. David Yeung of Green Monday, Melinda Ho of Bits x Bites, and many more), collaborated and strengthened working relationships with Sigmaxyz, expanded awareness of Future Food in Japan and across Asia, and added significant numbers to our community in Asia. Featured events of 2021:
F.F. CIRCLE, VOL 7: INDONESIA - TRADITIONAL VALUES FOR FUTURE FOOD CULTURE Featuring Ms. Batubara and Ms. Katili Niode from Nusa Indonesia Gastronomy, the event dove into a variety of topics related to food and food systems in Indonesia, highlighting traditional ingredients, practices, values, and how they see those as being essential to building sustainable food futures for Indonesia.
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FF CIRCLE, VOL 8: OPEN INNOVATION IN AUSTRALIAN AGRITECH & FOOD Featuring Paul Levins, Principal at Beanstalk, an Australian agriculture innovation agency, and co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Xinova, a Seattle-based company with a network of over 12,000 innovators globally, solving challenges for companies including PepsiCo, Honda, and Hyundai. The event was a deep dive into topics related to agritech, food systems, and food waste, some best practices from Australia, and how innovation is driving a number of sustainable solutions across the sector.
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FF CIRCLE VOL 9: BUILDING RESILIENCE OF FOOD PRODUCERS IN THE PHILIPPINES Featuring Ruel Amparo, the founder of Cropital, a Philippine startup that aims to increase farmers’ income and productivity through crowdfunding and community building. Small-scale farmers in the Philippines have the potential to increase their income through Cropital’s microfinance and digital services. These farmers are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as evidenced by the significant damage from continuous hits by super typhoons over recent years in the Philippines.
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Boot Camp participant (Climate Shaper) in Pollica, Cilento.
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CLIMATE SHAPERS CONVERSATIONS This series of digital events, conducted on Instagram live, interviewed Climate Shapers - young thinkers and expert facilitators from around the world, who are inspired and motivated to take real-world action to fight climate change and its impacts, discovering the most important ingredients of change, their motivations, their projects, and all the climate actions they are implementing in their territories. The aim was to reach thousands of people, spreading good practices and role models for the global community. The series was broadcasted on Future Food Institute Instagram account.
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WORLD FOOD FORUM To bring together innovators and key stakeholders in Japan, in one of the key sub-sectors within the sustainable food movement, plant-based proteins, Future Food hosted a series of events under the banner of the World Food Forum. Japan does not currently have many (perhaps not any) specific plant-based community platforms or meetups like what we’re doing with Japan Plant Connect.
NEXT GENERATION AGRICULTURE IN JAPAN provided an opportunity to learn about and discuss the challenges and future of youth-driven, sustainable agricultural solutions in Japan, hearing from a variety of perspectives.
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INDIGENOUS & HERITAGE PRACTICES FROM JAPAN included
presentations on the food-related history and practices of the Ainu & Ryukyu communities followed by a discussion on these topics in the context of modern-day Japan and for the next generation.
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Engaging various plant-based entrepreneurs and small to medium enterprises in Japan to collaborate horizontally, share struggles, and work toward common goals. It’s an ever-evolving platform and we’re only at the beginning.
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DUBAI EXPO - MEDITERRANEAN DIET CONNECTS PEOPLE Within the Italian Pavilion at the Dubai Expo, and under the theme of Beauty Connects People, Future Food placed the Mediterranean Diet in the spotlight as a model of cooperation and collective wellness. The event, which was a culmination of joint efforts with the Mediterranean Diet Study Center “Angelo Vassalo” of the Municipality of Pollica, and the CLAN National Agri-food Cluster, featured a distinguished panel of speakers conveying the connective power of the Mediterranean Diet. During the engaging and inspirational event, the speakers discussed how, by unveiling dormant resources, the Mediterranean Diet connects people to nature, traditions, and territorial nutrition. It also binds agriculture to science and diplomacy to prosperity. The event culminated in a joint announcement with Mayor Stefano Pisani of Pollica, that Future Food will offer four scholarships for two Emirati students and two volunteers of the Italy Expo 2020 for participation in the Mediterranean edition of our Food and Climate Shapers Boot Camp.
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Mediterranean Diet Forum: seeds of knowledge for the future of humanity, Dubai EXPO 2020.
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INNOVATION Transforming food systems through prosperity-driven alliances with government and industry. Leveraging the Prosperity Thinking approach, Future Food innovation enables the design of a better food system starting from a shared, inclusive idea of prosperity that encompasses not only economic growth but all social and environmental wellbeing.
FOOD THEATER Focused on transforming a crisis into an opportunity by rethinking food service and delivery while valuing experiences, authenticity, and conviviality. Future Food developed a community of kitchens and Food Characters™ that will find a new way of scaling popularity and business, sharing their knowledge, products, experiences, and stories. Giving a second life to dormant kitchens - hotels, canteens, caterers, etc. - and creating new business and job opportunities, we aim to regenerate a broken market and revolutionize an unsustainable delivery model. We create low-risk opportunities to test new food ideas that help even the smaller innovative foodservice realities. The experiences and services that Food Theaters provide are centered on good food and conviviality. FOOD THEATER redesigns the Ghost Kitchen model in an efficient, inclusive, dynamic, and emotional way, creating the new RAINBOW KITCHEN™ approach. Through affiliation with Food Theater, underperforming kitchens - DORMANT KITCHENS - become Virtual Food Halls that host experiential culinary shows created by entrepreneurial gastronomic storytellers - FOOD CHARACTERS™, paving a way to both evolve their businesses and reach new high-value customers.
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NUTRITION UNPACKED (A.K.A. NUTRITION FOR ALL) The Nutrition Unpacked research initiative combined quantitative data with the input of a broad range of experts and stakeholders to uncover the underlying causes of nutrition inequality and identify actionable outcomes. The project and the white paper aim to address policymakers and motivate multi-stakeholder partnerships to act on the potential solutions recommended based on the research. The Future Food Institute, in partnership with the Dole Sunshine Company (which refers collectively to Dole Asia Holdings, Dole Worldwide Packaged Foods, and Dole Asia Fresh) in July 2021, unveiled Nutrition Unpacked — a co-branded research initiative that ‘unpacks’ insights about nutritional inequities and gaps around the world. The study, conducted over the course of three months, combines quantitative data with the input of academics, practitioners, and the voices of grassroots communities to uncover the underlying causes of global nutrition inequality and identify actionable outcomes. FFI brought a range of stakeholders to the table, literally — through a series of six hosted dinners in Brazil, India, Zimbabwe, the United States, Poland, and Japan — to discuss barriers, gaps, and potential solutions. At each meal, educators, farmers, scientists, chefs, food technologists, policymakers, nutritionists, consumers, and more shared a meal and discussed their thoughts and perceptions about the gaps in nutrition and potential solutions. The new research unpacks four areas of focus that FFI and Dole will explore and share:
SOCIAL NUTRITION FOOD GENERATION GAP
The connection between food habits and broader social patterns to discover why we eat the way we do. The values, preferences, beliefs, practices, and desires that shape consumer behavior; and generational differences and perspectives on topics such as sustainability, taste, waste, and traditions.
HIDDEN HUNGER
This occurs when food quality does not satisfy nutrient requirements. Key causes include scarcity and contamination of natural resources, lack of access to nutritious food, mass production of monoculture, nutritional quality, food loss, and lifestyle changes.
ECOSYSTEM
To assure nutrition for all, it is essential to go beyond undernutrition — focusing instead on redefining the food ecosystem while considering sustainability, food value chains, communities, and infrastructures.
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AFFORDABLE NUTRITION To provide strategic assistance, deliver market-specific consumer insights, market analysis, innovation process support and execution to ultimately identify winning ideas and concepts (product and/or solutions). This global project targeted an unconventional market segment of consumers. Companies tend to overlook people with lower income and resources putting less emphasis on products made for this group as products made for a group with more economic resources. This project was an opportunity to understand these consumers on a deeper level, with a specific focus on mothers. Through the study, it has been uncovered how much trust consumers have for long-standing companies. They trust companies like these to provide them with necessary information to feed their families better food options. It validated the responsibility large corporations have to vulnerable communities. The top three prototypes/concepts for each of the target countries were validated with in-person and online focus groups and quantitative surveys. Each of the concepts went through multiple iterations with both external and internal stakeholders. bit.ly/3EwLhEd
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ACTIONS
06.1 FOOD INTELLIGENCE
05.3 WELLBEING
05.2 EATING LIFESTYLE
05.1 NUTRITION
04.4 Waste Upcycling
04.3 FUNCTIONAL
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06 AWAReNESS
05 LIFESTYLE
04.2 REDISCOVERED
06.1 FOOD CULTURE
dig
01 ENVIRONMENT
E UR l CULT
03 ACCESS
03.2 FOOD SECURITY
01.3 OCEANS
01.2 LAND & LIVESTOCK
PEOPLE ita
04 NOURISHMENT
04.1 NEW PROTEINS
01.1 FARMING
02 PRODUCTION
02.1 CIRCULAR SYSTEM
02.2 FOOD TECH
03.1 FOOD SAFETY
FUTURE FOOD INSTITUTE
HUMAN-CENTERED FRUIT-BASED PRODUCTS Using the Future Food Compass, we mapped innovative examples that are transforming the entire food ecosystem in a deep benchmarking study. The team gathered examples from production to culture to build a holistic view of innovation across the value chain. Through this project, Future Food helped bridge the gap for timetested food and beverage companies (such as Dole) to innovate with the newer generations and the rapidly shifting food space. They are taking the first step and making an effort to create better food products with Future Food helping them navigate this new and futuristic journey. FF researchers explored different sub-topics of interest, identifying the strongest case studies or existing research within that sub-area. This also included conducting in-depth interviews of experts in the food space such as researchers and founders. The team was able to scout and analyze global market trends that are rapidly and steadily growing. From never before seen combinations of ingredients to new technologies revolutionizing old ways of operating in the food space. The benchmarking presentation breaks down the examples and insights into six main sections. These sections are the Future Food Compass Categories (Environment, Production, Access, Nourishment, Lifestyle, and Awareness).
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HEURA, FUTURE FARM AND EVERGRAIN PRODUCT TESTING AND NATIONAL LAUNCHES Future Food collaborated on projects to facilitate the spread of a new way of thinking and approaching food by using the restaurants in the Eating Lifestyle Area as a bridge between the food industry and consumers. Our foodservice platforms became a training ground to prototype and validate, in a fast and dynamic manner, educating and raising awareness among consumers while fostering dialogue on key issues.
HEURA
The first plant-based meat made with extra virgin olive oil and inspired by the Mediterranean diet.
FUTURE FARM
Brazil’s world-leading plant-based meat company has revolutionized meat consumption in one of the world’s most carnivorous countries.
EVERGRAIN
The world’s most sustainable source of protein + fiber from an upcycling process.
Future Farm launch at Scuderia Living Lab - Bologna, Italy.
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The Eating Lifestyle team supported and oversaw the launch of Heura in Italy, which consisted of: • An event within the Scuderia Living Lab involving Millennials and GenZ students and a special Experience Delivery dedicated to key stakeholders. • The launch of Heura products in the Welldone Lifestyle Kitchen menu. After a soft launch of Future Farm and the introduction of their products in the new Welldone Lifestyle Kitchen menu, the team also organized Future Farm Day, a day divided into 3 different moments and menus that culminated in a Secret Dinner curated by our Food Alchemist Lab and dedicated to Future Farm stakeholders. EverGrain has successfully collaborated with FFI in the past for the development of one of its ingredient lines. To leverage the revolutionary potential of this product, FF Eating Lifestyle supported Evergrain in designing and executing a set of global activations aimed at increasing their popularity and awareness, as well as testing their success among customers and chefs. The project consisted of the design, organization, execution, and analysis of three activations in Italy, the USA, and Japan.
RESTAURANT CHECK-UP Restaurant Check-up is a tool that helps restaurateurs better understand the “health” of their business. A series of question modules covering all areas - from food cost to marketing, to sustainability - allow restaurateurs to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their restaurant. The platform analyzes every single answer and provides personalized scores and feedback. The survey can be integrated, through targeted consulting, with sector experts to examine the situation in detail, understand how to intervene and grow the business. This project aimed to help one of the categories that was most affected by the Covid-19 crisis and which represents a key link in the agri-food chain.
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At a time when many restaurants have closed and many others are struggling to survive, Restaurant Check-Up represents concrete help that can provide the necessary tools for businesses to get back on their feet and improve, thus offering a better service to the entire community. The toolkit provides an interactive and dynamic digital platform that consists of a structure of question forms for analyzing and measuring the “health” of restaurants.
DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE FOODS The Alchemy Lab team conducted innovative research on the development of a no added sugar kombucha beverage, based on germinated corn, which has already been published in the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. The gastro-sciences team is also developing internal innovative food products to launch in the different markets where FFI is involved. These projects include Rethink Pasta, Kombucha, and Vegan Salumi. This team has also collaborated with companies on changing the current market through developing clean label, healthy, and innovative products. Products developed this year include Veggie and fruit chips, a spoonable vegan snack, mood bites, and multiple beverages.
SUSTAINABLE EATING BEHAVIORAL CHANGE THEORY FOR WWF This project identified optimal communication tactics to spark behavior change amongst 15-35 year olds in the UK, specifically: • deciphering types of messaging, communication styles, and media environments that most resonate; • uncovering unmet needs and wants regarding food-related content, divided by the specific target demographics and psychographics; The Future Food team applied human-centered design and community-based participatory design methodologies to tap into intrinsic motivations and directly engage this target audience.
On the left – Future Farm Secret Cellar Dinner organized by our Food Alchemist Team to launch Future Farm plant based meat in Italy. 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 77
ACTIONS
Some of our mentors with participants at Bravo Innovation Hub.
The project uncovered insights about how to talk about sustainable eating so that it inspires behavioral change. It also provided a guide to multiply these findings and reuse them for other projects. These insights have enabled FFI and the Food for Climate League to offer behavioral change advice to many organizations through a comprehensive Behavioral Change Guide and a summative report including insights of 15-35 year olds in the UK and corresponding communication recommendations.
SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD - ASMI This project focused on driving the frequency of sustainable seafood items on core menus and sales of sustainable seafood menu options with a particular focus on Generation Z. The research paid particular attention to identifying high take-rate meat dishes that can be “flipped” to seafood dishes and maintain eater interest. The team also identified new narratives and product offerings to drive demand and availability of sustainable seafood products. The project facilitated the addition of more sustainable dishes to the menus of Sodexo, served in hundreds of schools, campuses, and corporate canteens across the US. This in turn provides
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eaters with increased access to more sustainable and healthy food options. The final output included two toolkits: one about how to choose a dish that is appealing and one about how to name it to make it appealing.
BRAVO INNOVATION HUB “Bravo Innovation Hub Agrifood” is the new acceleration program aimed at startups and businesses in Southern Italy that offer innovative solutions for the agrifood supply chain. It aims to support activities in the development of innovative ideas in the agri-food sector. Bravo Innovation Hub offers vertical acceleration paths to speed up the entry of companies in the market. With Bravo Innovation Hub, companies will be able to validate and develop their business models guided by the best experts in the field. Thanks to dedicated networking moments, they will be able to connect to the economic chain of the interested regions and, in the final Demo Day, they will be able to present their ideas to an audience of national and international investors that will be able to further support the startups in their growth. With Bravo Innovation Hub, the Ministry of Economic Development and Invitalia facilitate innovative action of dissemination and sharing of the best national and international experiences in the creation and development of startups and new businesses in the territory.
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04
CONNECTIONS Proud to partner 2021 Future Food publications Connect & collaborate
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CONNECTIONS
PROUD TO PARTNER Our efforts over the past year would not have been possible without the support, encouragement, and collaboration with our many amazing partners around the world. We are thankful for their commitment and look forward to their continued involvement.
24 bottles A Better Life Foundation AbInBev Accademia dei Fisiocritici Accademia dei Georgofili Accademia Panino Accenture Agristeria AHK Italian German Chamber of Commerce AIESEC Ajinomoto Alici di Menaica di Donatella Marino All4Climate Italy Amore Per Sapere ANGA ANGI Aurora Azienda Agricola La Pretrosa Azienda Agricola Volpe Beanstalk Benefiq Bet She Can Bicchieri Big Idea Ventures BIO-Distretto Bits x Bites Blab Campagna Spreco Zero Campos Pachamama
CampuStore Camst Carbon Credits Consulting Chef Hitoshi Sugiura Chef’s Manifesto CIHEAM CIID CirFood Citta della Scienza Clientamente Climate Farmers Climate Reality Project India Coldiretti Comune di Bologna Comune di Pollica Comune di Camerota Connect4Climate Cooperativa Nuovo Cilento Copenhagen Institute Cosmopolites CREA CropTrust Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development Dole Dot Academy Earth Day Network Earthday.org Edible Issues EIT Food ElSevier
Enel Ente Idrico Campano ER-GO European Commission Exever FAO FAO elearning Academy Faces of Hunger FarmTech Society Fondazione Campagna Amica Food for Climate League FFCL FIDU Finish Fonda Carta Etica Fondazione Fico Fondazione Golinelli Fondazione Prima Fondazione Univerde Food Systems Summit Dialogues Food Talk Food Wave Foodinnopolis FoodTheatre FORK Organization Franklin University Future Food Tech GeoFood Network Global Action GoAbroad 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 81
CONNECTIONS
Good Food Foundation Good Food Institute Google Food Grandi Salumifici Green Monday GROEN protein powders I love Italian Food I.I.S Lazzaro Spallanzani IACCW ICC HK ICCAR INAF Indire Innovacoop Invest HK Isola Catania Istituto Affari Internazionali ITA Mumbai Italian Agri-food Technological Cluster IULM university Katapult ocean Laudato Si Challenge Leanpath Le Donne dell’Olio Le Donne Dell’Ortofrutta Legacoop Le Starze Magma UNESCO Global Geopark Materias Meatless Futures Mediterranean Diet Study Center “Angelo Vassallo” Miscusi MoooFarm Museo Dieta Mediterranea MyFarm Mygrants National Geographic Naturasi Nescafe Nestle New European Bauhaus Nihon Nogyo Nusa (Indonesian Gastronomy Foundation One planet Openagri 82 | 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
Padang & Co Parmareggio Petrosa Plant Based Japan PlantX Platos Sin Fronteras Pontificia Academia QS Reimagine Education RAI Rareche Real Pasta Reboot the Future Reckitt Benckiser reNature Rethink Food Rimun Rinnovabili.it Risotto Ryerson University Scuole Malpighi Sigmaxyz Smart Kitchen Summit Slow Food Nibbon Social Gastronomy Movement Social Pizza Sodexo Future Food Collective SoleMar Eventi Startup Bootcamp Stati Generali delle Donne Strobilo Taco 12 Talent Garden TASTE Tenuta Chirico Tenuta Colline di Zenone TetraPak Thalea Think20 Italy Tokyo Tatemono Turismiamo TWO Foods Japan UNIDO ITPO Italy UNIDO ITPO Shanghai Unione Per Il Med Università degli Studi della Basilicata Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II University Macerata
University of Nebraska Lincoln University Westfjords Unox Vivekon Waginingen University Walk for Water Water Museums Network We don’t have time WellDone Wholesum Japan World Food Forum WWF YCL
FUTURE FOOD INSTITUTE
2021 PUBLICATIONS Development of a no added sugar kombucha beverage based on germinated corn International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science bit.ly/3ulzerw
Food for Earth
Human And Planet Centered Approach: Prosperity Thinking In Action
Booklet
Cambridge University Press bit.ly/3GitocS
bit.ly/3HfYaVj
Nutrition Unpacked
Upcycling to a circular food system
Whitepaper
Institute of Food Science and Technology
bit.ly/3HjVGoM
bit.ly/3ucykxC
CONNECT & COLLABORATE If you or your organization are interested in getting involved in the Future Food’s movement of regeneration, we would love to hear from you.
HELLO@FUTUREFOODINSTITUTE.ORG SOCIAL MEDIA Stay updated on all the activity across the Future Food Ecosystem.
bit.ly/3JmN5TV
bit.ly/3pkZsYC
bit.ly/3pjAyIT
bit.ly/32oDJWw
bit.ly/32aNHLz
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