The Shifting the Food System Affinity group met from March 21-22, 2018 in Sausalito, California to discuss food as a lever for transformative social and environmental change. GPC members and experts shared their experiences and innovative solutions in changing our broken food system. Specific topics included food waste, security and access, supply chain and scale, disruptive innovation, bridging leadership, and the limited number of consumer choices. 

Photo Gallery

Event Agenda and Bios

• Meeting agenda 
• Speakers and Participants bio

Key Takeaways

• “Our culture is very accepting of how much food goes to waste. We’ve become numb to it.” - Dana Gunders, leading expert on food waste.
• “We will not survive if we do not radically shift the way business is done…We are living off the corpus (of the planet) and not the dividends. We will not survive if we do not radically shift the way business is done.” - Bonny Meyer, Meyer Family Enterprises
• “I firmly believe that business leaders can be the strongest advocates for policy change in this space.” - Renske Lynde, Food System 6.
• “Nature has it figured out – we need to use the same principles.” - Jen Werbitsky, Armonia
• “Who gets to decide taste?” - Renewal Mill 

Presentations

Specialty Coffee

Presenter: Mokhtar Alkhanshali, historian, community organizer, and Founder & CEO, Port of Mokha Coffee

“I believe our coffee will outlast the bombs.” Seeking to reverse Yemen’s nearly lost art of coffee cultivation, Mokhar founded Port of Mokha. Combining his knowledge of specialty coffee production, progressive infrastructure strategy and community organizing, he has helped to reverse the declining quality of Yemeni coffee and re-establish it as the one of industries most treasured origins.

Key resources

• Read more about Port of Mokha.
• Learn about the Historic Route of Coffee.
• Meet the Remarkable Subject of Dave Egger’s new book, Monk of Mokha.

On Food Waste

Presenters: Dana Gunders, author, former senior scientist at the National Resources Defense Council and food systems expert; Sarah Vared, Founder and Strategic Advisor, ReFED. 

Food is the number one product going into landfills today. Food waste is now recognized as a problem and change is beginning to take place. Recycling solutions contribute to reducing waste, however, prevention solutions have the most impact. What people are doing with food in their homes matters.

Key resources

• Learn more about Dana Gunders’ work at her website. 
• Check out the ReFED for more information on their food waste work. 
• Read The Waste Free Kitchen Handbook. 

Bi-Rite Market and 18 Reasons

Presenters: Sam Mogannam, Founder, Bi-Rite Market; Sarah Nelson, Executive Director, 18 Reasons 

Bi-Rite Market sets the standard for grocery stores that champion locally sourced products grown by small producers. 18 Reasons is a non-profit community cooking school committed to empowering its community with the confidence and creativity needed to buy, cook and eat good food every day.

Key resources

• Learn more about Bi-Rite Market.
• Learn more about 18 Reasons. 
• Read on The Secrets of Bi-Rite Markets’ Thriving Business Community. 
• Check out Sam Mogannam at TedX. 
• Read Bi-Rite’s Market's Eat Good Food: A grocer’s guide to shopping, cooking, and creating community through good food.

Interactive Design Workshop

Presenter: Debra Dunn, Stanford Design School and FEED Collaborative

Designing for food systems change must be human-centered.

Key resources

• Learn more about the Stanford Design School. 
• Learn more about the Feed Collaborative.

New Food Entrepreneurs: Capacity Building for Leadership

Presenters: Renske Lynde, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Food System 6

Email: renske@foodsystem6.org

The next food system is more integrated, holistic, and “provides sustenance for all in a way that protects and builds the long-term health and resilience of our society and planet.” Food System 6 aims to disrupt the flow of capital to entrepreneurs that can’t typically access this space. Philanthropists have invested more in early stage partnerships. It is important to understand and to coach entrepreneurs as they support each other.

Key resources

• Learn more about Food System 6.
• Food System 6 Reveals Newest Cohort in their Accelerator Program. 
• Link to Presentation. 

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Renewal Mill

Presenters: Sumit Kadakia and Claire Schlemme, Co-Founders, Renewal Mill

Email: sumit@renewalmill.com

Renewal Mill reduces food production byproduct waste by extracting fibrous byproducts for use in other versatile food items. One of the products of Renewal Mill, Okara flour, which is derived from soybean pulp may be added to any flour based product, including baked goods.

Key resources

• Learn more about Renewal Mill.
• Read how Renewal Mill Redirects Food Waste.
• Watch Sumit and Claire as Student Entrepreneurs.
• Link to Presentation. 

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Full Cycle Bioplastics

Presenter: Andrew Falcon, CEO, Full Cycle Bioplastics

Email: andrew@fullcylebioplastics.com

Plastics are everywhere and 30% of them do not get recaptured. Full Cycle Bioplastics transforms “organic matter into a compostable alternative to oil-based plastics.”

Key resources

• Learn more about Full Cycle Bioplastics.
• Watch Andrew at the Vancouver Zero Waste Conference.
• Is this the Solution to Plastic Pollution Waste?.
• Link to Presentation. 

Questions?

Please contact Marieke Spence at mspence@synergos.org