Food - Battery Powered

Food nourishes and sustains us. It’s deeply ingrained in our cultures and fundamental to how we experience the world. This is why food has become political; people have realized that cheap food isn’t so cheap after all. Industrial food production is connected to scores of systems and touches so many critical social issues—from social to environmental to public health to animal welfare.

A new movement is coming together to create a better system--one in which everyone has access. Sustainable farming advocates have taken on the problems of hunger and poverty. Environmentalists are marrying their mission to decrease fossil fuel use with the passion of advocates for organic farming. Forward-looking businesses are also getting in on the action, investing in efficiency gains and advanced techniques that impact their triple bottom line. This emerging political and social force is shaking up the food sector for good.

We can empower farmers with actionable, data-driven insights that come straight from the fields and not from hunches. Food waste can be minimized as food delivery companies work to create kits that include healthy ingredients in exact proportions. And consumers can take control of how they prepare their foods.

OPPORTUNITIES

Complex issues of health, food scarcity and environmental impact can be solved through modern solutions:

"We can empower farmers with actionable, data-driven insights that come straight from the fields and not from hunches. Food waste can be minimized as food delivery companies work to create kits that include healthy ingredients in exact proportions," wrote Vishal Vasishth., investor and builder of #WorldPositive Companies. "Consumers can take control of how they prepare their foods, personalized to their micro-biome, as new kitchen appliances with integrated technologies like 3D printing and robotics get more sophisticated to make fresh food for us with fresh ingredients. Anyone wishing to cook a healthy, delicious and fresh meal will not have to think twice."

Welcome to the Resource Revolution, right where it matters most: the kitchen cupboard. And it's just in time, according to noted author Michael Pollan, who co-wrote a call for the next President to institute a national food policy.

“Because of unhealthy diets, 100 years of progress in improving public health and extending lifespan has been reversed. Today's children are expected to live shorter lives than their parents,"

Michael Pollan
Professor, Author, Journalist and Activist

Despite its prominence as a provider of the nation’s food, California’s agricultural regulations are widely considered too inflexible and and complex to adjust to changing climate impact. In a state where 1 out of 8 don’t have enough to eat, six millions tons of food goes to waste.

SOLUTIONS

Solutions are as plentiful as the farms in the Central Valley. With the right mix of policy and innovation, we can not merely reduce waste but eliminate it altogether. Our food systems are not serving us well because government policy is made piecemeal. There are broad principles we all agree on like our food supply should be free of bacteria and drugs; workers deserve a fair wage; and policies should support public health and environmental goals. Supporting these objectives through policy can set the stage for a true revolution.

“A sustainable food system ensures equal access to healthy, local food that is economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially just. In this type of food system, farmers, fishermen and chefs profit from the sale of their produce, fish, and value-added products, all residents can access and afford to buy local, healthy food, and our land is not just maintained, but preserved for future generations.”

Ag Innovations Network. The California Roundtable on Agriculture and the Environment. Producing, Distributing, and Consuming Healthy Local Food: Ingredients for a Sustainable Food System

It’s indeed a brave new world, typical of a true revolution and full of limitless possibility. Big Food in America is undergoing sweeping turbulence as corporate giants like Campbell’s Soup and General Mills are now investing directly in food-based startups. Efficiencies in production and delivery can directly confront social justice issues of scarcity that exist in communities across the state. The sweet spot of breakthrough opportunities will be those discovered at the crossroads of efficiency, innovation and accessibility.