EIT Food

There's a gender gap in deeptech: only 15% of Europe's startups in this sector are founded or co-founded by women, with just 7% by all-women teams. Those who do enter entrepreneurship often raise less VC funding than their male counterparts. (EIT - European Institute of Innovation and Technology) Women entrepreneurs bring unique and invaluable perspectives, enriching the landscape of entrepreneurial endeavors and fostering a more diverse and inclusive business world. 👩💼🌟 From a lack of entrepreneurship education for young girls to investor attitudes towards different leadership styles, there’s significant work to be done to bridge the #GenderGap. In the current landscape, initiatives like EWA - Empowering Women in Agrifood have emerged as indispensable pillars in championing women's entrepreneurship, particularly in sectors traditionally dominated by men such as agriculture and foodtech. 💡 This 6-month entrepreneurial programme offers training, mentoring, business coaching, and networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the agrifood sector. How can we empower women innovators in #agrifood? 🚀 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dY5R5RGJ #ImprovingFoodTogether #FutureOfFood #FoodSystems #WomenInTech #WomenInSTEM #STEM #GenderEquality

Sustainability and health issues related to meat production and consumption are at the heart of the problems with the current #FoodSystem. A rapid shift will be essential to address pressing issues such as agricultural emissions, nutrition, and #FoodSecurity. 🌱🌐 While traditional livestock farming poses significant environmental challenges, regenerative farming methods offer a promising alternative to meat production while promoting a more sustainable food system. 🌍🍽️ To achieve this vision, we need to enable dialogue across all stakeholders to identify gaps, barriers, and opportunities for positive actions and policies to drive a #RegenerativeAgricultureRevolution. 🤝💡 What will the future of meat production look like❓ Where do you think it will be in 10 years from now❓ Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dYSrfUfG #ImprovingFoodTogether #FutureOfFood #SustainableFood

Almond, oat, and soy milk have a smaller greenhouse gas footprint than cow’s milk. Yet, there are caveats. 🐄🥛🌱 Almonds require much water to grow, posing challenges in areas with #WaterScarcity. Soy milk tends to be fairly low-impact, as long as the soy is sourced sustainably. When #farmers and processors team up within the plant-based value chain, it ensures that switching to #PlantBased alternatives doesn't mean sacrificing valuable products from the farm. 🌱 Take, for example: 👏 Lantmännen, a Swedish farming cooperative and Northern Europe’s agri-leader, which invested SEK 1 billion in a pea protein production hub in 2022. 👏 Valio, a Finnish company founded by 3,700 farmers in 1905, channels all payments to farmers through dairy cooperatives while also manufacturing plant-based alternatives to milk, dairy, and cheese. 👏 AXEREAL, a prominent French cereal cooperative, successfully converted over 200 farms to regenerative practices with support from the EIT Food alumni startup Soil Capital. In 2023, Axereal partnered with Intact, investing €55 million to establish a supply chain covering 65,000 ha of regenerative agriculture legume crops like yellow peas and Faba beans, combined with an innovative processing plant. What innovations do you see making waves in sustainable #DairyAlternatives? 💡 #ImprovingFoodTogether #FutureOfFood #PlantBased #ClimateChange #GHGemissions #FoodFacts #FoodInfo #SustainableFood #DairyFree #ClimateSolutions

Nature and biodiversity are essential to humanity, providing resources we need to survive, including our food. 🥕 Yet, nature is experiencing a serious and continued decline, with agricultural activities, land abandonment, and urbanisation being the main culprits. (EEA) The recent withdrawal of EU nature restoration laws is a setback, but it doesn't mean the end of nature restoration efforts. It's time for other stakeholders to step up. 💪 “As a society, it is clear that we must make fundamental changes to safeguard the health and resilience of Europe’s nature”, says our CEO Richard Zaltzman. We have an innovation opportunity within the #FoodSystem, and outstanding entrepreneurs are already making strides to restore nature, such as SeedForward GmbH, Ficosterra, and NoPalm Ingredients from our #RisingFoodStars community. We all have a role in ensuring our food production respects and protects our environment. From pioneering farmers to global companies investing in #SustainableFoodSystems, we can drive the necessary changes. Policy will catch up, but the #Innovation starts now. 🚀💚 👉 https://lnkd.in/dzXN8ktu #ImprovingFoodTogether #FutureOfFood #RegenerativeAgriculture #RegenerateToAccelerate

Young people are fundamental for the transformation towards healthy and sustainable #FoodSystems. Yet our research clearly shows that they are being let down: they find healthy food more expensive, harder to find on the go, and lacking the information and advice they need to make informed nutritional decisions. Findings from our survey of over 2,000 18-24 year-olds across Europe point to a generation that is very interested, knowledgeable, and entrepreneurial when it comes to their eating habits, and especially how they link to their wellbeing and #MentalHealth. The voice and asks of this young and dynamic food generation need to be heard by everyone across the #agrifood sector, and they need to be involved and empowered in shaping what comes next. ✊🌾 Learn more 💡 https://lnkd.in/d5Tpwyzd #ImprovingFoodTogether #FutureOfFood #HealthyFood #SustainableFood #GenZ

Despite facing significant challenges, women entrepreneurs are driving positive change and shaping a more sustainable #FoodSystem and future for all. 🌱 We are proud to support and empower women entrepreneurs through our programmes and initiatives. From the Empowering Women in Agrifood (#EWA) Programme to the EIT Food Accelerator Network, EIT Food Seedbed Incubator, Team Up and including Supernovas, an initiative expanding beyond the sectors, we provide platforms for women to thrive, innovate, and succeed in the #agrifood sector. 🚀 Let us amplify the voices and achievements of innovative women and their remarkable contributions to the #FoodIndustry: Benjamina Bollag, CEO and Founder of Uncommon 🥩Revolutionising the meat industry with #CulturedProtein production. Laurie Lancee, Founder of Vini Mini 🍼 Preventing food allergies in infants through supplements. Ingrid Dynna, Co-founder and CEO at NoMy 🍄 Using fungal fermentation to transform food by-products into sustainable, high-value ingredients. Solveiga Pakštaitė, Founder and Director of Mimica 🏷️Creating the next generation of food expiry labeling that reduces #FoodWaste and improves #FoodSafety. Discover more top women in agrifood to watch 👉 https://lnkd.in/dkwP-vYg Who else would you add to the list? ✨ #ImprovingFoodTogether #FutureOfFood

We couldn’t agree more with the results of our recent poll. ✅✅✅ Will the newly elected EU Parliament deliver on Green Deal promises❓ Will it prioritise funding for fostering #SustainableAgriculture❓ Regenerative agriculture holds the key to achieving global climate goals while ensuring future generations have access to affordable and nutritious food. Transitioning to regenerative practices demands a comprehensive approach that benefits all stakeholders, from farmers to corporate enterprises. 🌍 Part of the Food Innovation Hub Europe initiative, and together with Foodvalley NL, we have launched a €30 million Portfolio which fosters a collaborative community, with a focus on sharing knowledge and experiences, and promoting successful partnerships and innovation. 🤝🌱 As the world's largest food innovation community, we will match partner contributions up to €5 million annually until 2025, potentially reaching a total investment of €30 million. Interested in learning more or getting involved? 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgbj7vxn #FutureOfFood #FoodSystem

What are the most urgent #FoodSystems challenges in Europe that decision-makers should prioritise? As the newly elected European Parliament prepares to take office, we are at a pivotal moment for the future of Europe’s food system. There is an opportunity to elevate the push for a policy framework that ensures our food systems are sustainable, resilient, healthy, and competitive. However, as witnessed in the previous parliamentary term, political gridlock poses significant challenges. Key food policy initiatives linked to the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy have faced delays and dilution. We believe the immense environmental, economic, and social challenges we face can act as a unifying force. The clock is ticking. ⏰ Learn more about seven food system opportunities and challenges confronting the new Parliament in our new blog 📜https://lnkd.in/dsMZUQh5 How can we help ensure a better #FutureOfFood? #ImprovingFoodTogether #EUFoodPolicy #SustainableFood #EuropeanGreenDeal #FarmToFork #FoodSystemTransformation #HealthyEating #RegenerativeFoodSystems #ClimateAction

Increasing women's participation in digital technology could contribute up to €16 billion annually to Europe's economy. Yet, the gender gap persists, with women underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and digital roles. 📊 Equipping young women with digital and entrepreneurial skills empowers individuals while contributing to a more diverse and innovative workforce across the #FoodSystems and beyond.💡 It has a ripple effect on communities and the broader economy, as these girls gain vital skills to become ambassadors of change. 🚀 A new short film, produced for the #EITCommunity by BBC Storyworks, tells this important story through the lens of Kelly, a Girls Go Circular graduate, sharing the life-changing benefits this programme brings to students and the wider societal impact. 👇 In three years, the Girls Go Circular initiative equipped +40,000 schoolgirls aged 14-19 across Europe with digital and entrepreneurial skills through an online learning programme about the circular economy. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dickQz3f #TheHumanComponent #StrongerSocieties #TechInnovation #DigitalFuture #STEM #WomeninSTEM #DigitalGenderGap #ImprovingFoodTogether #FutureOfFood

Rising carbon levels in the atmosphere can make plants grow faster, but there's another hidden consequence: it can make our food less nutritious. 🌱📉 Since the Industrial Revolution, our global carbon dioxide levels have increased from about 280 parts per million (ppm) to about 420 ppm today, and rising. (NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, 2022). 🌍 Having higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, regardless of its impact on #ClimateChange, affects the way the plants grow and their nutritional density. The declining quality of livestock forage also has a knock-on effect on meat and dairy. (Ebi, 2019) 🥩🧀 Other factors also make our food less nutritious, including soil degradation and biodiversity loss. How do you think declining nutrition will impact the #FutureOfFood, and what’s the solution? 🤔🍽️ #ImprovingFoodTogether #FoodNutrition #SustainableFood #FoodSystem