Bibimbap: rethinking organic food

At the Fuori Salone a new method dealing with healthy food was experimented. Which were the key ingredients? Young and enthusiastic minds, workers in the sector and the new techniques of “human centered design”, the design based on the enhancement of human beings. A whole journey, sixty participants and an innovative brainstorming which mixed ideas, entrepreneurial projects and new sustainable and conscious solutions. This was what happened in the Green Village, at Superstudio 13, during the Milano Design Week on April 11th, thanks to an idea of Future Food Institute (philanthropic project born from the experience of You Can Group), as well as to the precious presence of the Alce Nero producers and to the enthusiastic participation of students and mentors, which joined all together for a “good” cause. Starting from the culinary metaphor of bibimbap, the Korean dish made of rice and vegetables, a real marathon of ideas took place. Its aim was that of knowing, discovering and change, if necessary, the old paradigms of organic food in order to innovate its communicative processes and promote and spread the knowledge of real food, which is the result of the authentic relationship between man and earth. It was an interactive event where a free dialogue between personal experiences, stories, cooking, organic products and the earth, based on the new human centered design techniques, whose key words are sharing, team and creativity. The teams who participated to the event and the projects developed were five, accompanied by a team of mentors of excellence. farmers and producers of the Alce Nero Group, among which the olive grower Benedetto Fracchiolla who strongly suggested to the participants to “hug tightly a tree” to restore the contact with the origin of things. Another key figure was represented by Maria Desiante, farmer of ancient wheats who specified that “producing organic food means with humanity”, “real food is passion, sharing and respect” and “Bread, Pasta and Father are the same thing”. There were also Lucio Cavazzoni, President of Alce Nero, who makes a distinction between the user, who is part of a ligìfe cycle, and the consumer; the Designer Lucy Salamanca and Chef Matteo Aloe according to whom “Culture and knowledge are necessary to distinguish good food from fake good food”. Finally, there were also Ilaria Presotto, business development director of Illy Caffè, the renowned chef Simone Salvini according to whom “love is the main ingredient to cook and it is organic by nature” and Davide Paolini, the Gastronauta, journalist of Radio 24. The meeting among personal experiences and highly differentiated skills triggered a process of reflection, change and prototyping aiming at innovating and focused on two main topics: the relationship between the producer and the consumer of the product as well as the divulgation of the origin of value. The result? The production of prototypes which made tangible the ideas developed: an app, a website, a project of communication, an advertising campaign, a new business model. An innovative, unique and original way to under stand how to reduce the distance between the producer and the consumer, which ended with the performance of the storyteller and Foodj Nick Difino, who presented the whole event. Finally, the jury (in which was present also Leifoodie) selected as a winner the team “Non ho mai smesso di essere Bio” (I’ve never stopped being Organic), who had to choice between two prixes: a weekend at a Libera Terra farmhouse or at a farmhouse belonging to the network of the Alce Nero Group.  

Written by Sara Roversi