NESTA: What if waste food could solve the problem of food waste?

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On October 19th FFI took part to the NESTA Challenges Forum in London together with entrepreneurs, food technologists, policy makers, chefs and farmers we were challenged to envision scenarios for how recycle waste food more effectively.
The speakers – Mark Driscoll, Head of Food at Forum for the Future : The Protein Challenge; Robert Bud, author of The Uses of Life: A History of Biotechnology ; and our very own Sara Roversi – engaged the public into actively imagining and debating the key trends, the key challenges and second life scenarios for recycled proteins.
 
 
As NESTA put it in their latest report “Closing the protein loop Making sure the supply of food continues to keep up with humanity’s appetite will mean meeting many challenges” looking at how to find a space in the human diet for protein that is currently going to waste is crucial. Firstly though it is necessary to check on market failures – as there isn’t a properly functioning market for waste protein products; technological barriers – on how to process protein waste; cultural and legal barriers – religion beliefs, labelling dramas, popular misguidance.
This is why such an effort is put together: overtake the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities, such as: develop technology – an innovation challenge; create a market – disrupt the traditional thinking; learn from the past – educating the public.
 
 
We were very honored and grateful for being included in such innovative conversation, the future of feeding depends a great deal on the action of illuminated innovators, thinkers and doers that believe in the development and rediscovery of our resources.