Food for thought | How do we fix our broken food system?
Feb 11, 2025
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Wendy Schmidt, President and Co-Founder of the Schmidt Family Foundation, focuses on philanthropy's vital role in food system innovation. Douglas McMaster, the Michelin-starred chef and owner of Silo, shares insights from participating in the Big Food Redesign Challenge, advocating for a rethink of our entire food production. Together, they discuss how to transform the food industry, enhance biodiversity, and design eco-friendly practices that regenerate nature rather than deplete it.
The Big Food Redesign Challenge highlights the potential of innovative collaboration to create sustainable food products that enhance biodiversity and reduce waste.
Transforming consumer demand and promoting systemic change in the food industry can lead to significant shifts towards a more regenerative food economy.
Deep dives
The Big Food Redesign Challenge Overview
The Big Food Redesign Challenge, initiated 18 months ago, aims to align food production with circular economy principles to enhance biodiversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve health outcomes. The challenge successfully engaged 400 organizations, resulting in 141 innovative products being showcased at a prominent event in London. These products span a range of food items, from breakfast to dinner, and are set to be available in various markets, including the UK and Brazil. This initiative exemplifies how collaborative efforts can lead to substantial progress in transforming the food system.
Waste and Opportunities in the Food System
The podcast emphasizes the significant waste generated within current food systems, noting that for every dollar spent on food, two dollars are wasted, highlighting the urgent need for systemic change. Examples such as Doug McMaster's zero waste restaurant, Silo, illustrate how innovative solutions can transform waste into valuable resources, fostering a connection between producers and the natural world. More broadly, the potential for transforming waste into new products signals a shift towards a more regenerative and sustainable food economy. This approach not only addresses environmental concerns but also promotes healthier eating and stronger community ties.
Collaboration and Market Signals for Change
Collaboration among various stakeholders is crucial to driving change in the food system. The discussion highlights that even a small shift in consumer demand, around 5-10%, can catalyze significant transformations in product offerings and store designs. This empowers consumers to influence market dynamics and encourages companies to respond to sustainability demands. Ultimately, the conversation emphasizes a collective vision of reconnecting with nature, which is viewed as essential for achieving true sustainability in food production.
The food industry is one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss and accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. But what if food could be designed to regenerate nature rather than harming it?
That’s the vision behind the Big Food Redesign Challenge.
In this episode of The Circular Economy Show, our guest host Lucy Parker, Senior Partner and Sustainable Business Global Lead at Brunswick Group, explores how we can take learnings from the Challenge to create a food system that is better for people, nature and climate.
We hear from:
Jonquil Hackenberg, CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, who shares insights about the Big Food Redesign Challenge and what it has helped achieve
Wendy Schmidt, President and Co-Founder of the Schmidt Family Foundation, who supported the Challenge, explores the power of philanthropy as a catalyst for innovation
Douglas McMaster, Michelin-starred chef and owner of the world’s first zero waste restaurant, Silo, who was a participant in the Challenge, tells us why it’s important to ask the question ‘what if we could do the whole thing differently?’
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