Building hope for the future: a few thoughts after the ending of our FF4CC Summer School in Tokyo

At the end of our second Future Food for Climate Change Summer School, we “unprecedented challenges” that modern society is facing, meeting the most futuristic innovators and experiencing a deep reconnection with nature, culture, and traditions. Besides, we joined the Smart Kitchen Summit, where we met innovative startups and food industry leaders showcasing cool solutions for the future of food. They undoubtedly showed their willingness and desire to move into the future. Then, on August 8th we received the announcement that the IPCC has approved and accepted Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. This very clearly stated that we must change the food system to save the world because cutting carbon from transport and energy is “not enough.” “The land provides the food, feed, fiber, fuel, and freshwater without which human society and its economy could not exist”, the report says. This provision is under threat from rising global temperatures and “unprecedented” rates of land and freshwater exploitation in recent decades, the report warns.” The UN says we have 10 years to limit the climate change catastrophe! The IPCC has said that urgent change is needed to cut the risk of extreme heat, drought, floods, and poverty. No-one and no country can achieve sustainable results on their own! So we do our best to building hope for the future! We will bring back home all of the powerful messages that our student provided us as feedback after this unbelievable experience. An example of this is Rayley, a very smart engineer from Seattle, saying that he applied to our summer school hoping to find cutting edge technologies for vertical farming. However, undergoing this experience, he ended up understanding that reconnecting with nature, soul, and the community is the real starting point to solve the most significant challenges we are facing. Or Celeste, Ph.D. graduated at Wageningen University, who said, It was one of those experiences changing your life, and I understood that work and personal life intertwine when you live to realize yourself with passion in the things you do. I have always hoped to meet someone in my path who really believed in the work he does, but above all that he believed in young people. You are inspiration, passion, energy, courage, personality, congruence, tenacity put together. You made me understand that work is a being, not a doing. It’s a way to represent better who you are, through the passion you put into your work, and with the people, you surround yourself with.” Or the Climate Activist from Nepal, or the German Culinary Scientist, or the Brazilian Scientist/Social Entrepreneurs…each of them was a true gift for us! Nothing would have been so surprising without a team of positive difference-makers; people who change the world for the better; people believing in meaning and purpose as something to discover or pursue in life; curious individuals willing to learns by every experienceunderstanding the power of relationships, connection, and engaging with the world openly; people able to make this journey unforgettable. Reversing the ‘business as usual’ is essential to regenerate food systems.  If you reverse your mindset, your habits will just follow it. If you reverse the humans mindset, innovation will actually be shaped for the best. This learning journey made me understand how Future Food and Sara Roversi are leading a Regenerative Revolution, through reversing mindsets and as a consequence food innovation. Innovation is just a tool. It comes after purpose. An empty innovation is the expression of an ego-system that we humans cannot afford anymore. That’s why a nature-centered approach is needed  As a member of the Future Food team, contributing to this process make me feel proud and fulfilled by the magnificence of generating a tangible impact by reversing the business as usual of an outstanding class of climate shapers. Help us to have a massive impact because time is running fast and we need to achieve people at a larger scale – Claudia Laricchia Education has always been one of the pillars at the Future Food Institute. But only after experiencing it first-hand through the FF4CC Smart Farms Summer School in Tokyo, I had a real grasp of the impact of this empowering and engaging method on people’s visions and actions. Sharing these days with an incredible group of smart and determined people, each of whom committed to working towards the achievement of the SDGs, made me realize how we all can make a difference through our daily activities and bring about real change on multiple levels. The time to act is now. As humans, we can no longer afford to let unsustainable practices go on undisturbed. It’s is not a matter of caring FOR the planet. WE are the planet. It means caring for OUR collective future and wellbeing. – Francesca Massoni We can have a more significant impact not by doing but by “being” first.  It’s who we decide to be every day that can generate the change the world needs.  Genuine, human, honest people like those who took part in the FF4CC Climate Smart Farms. In Tokyo and everywhere let’s carry on the regeneration of our planet by keeping spread the light! – Ilaria Gant And now we are ready for a brand new inspirational experience! We will be focused on the beautiful Icelandic mission from September 1st to the 7th for the last stop of this Summer School Series. Don’t ask. Act. Be a Climate Shaper with us: http://bit.ly/ff4ccapplicationclimateshaper