Work Together on Shared Goals

With such complex and interrelated challenges, we need to work together across silos – finding a new way to do things that recognizes the intersection between food, health and climate. Speakers such as Jahan-Zeb Chowdhury from the International Fund for Agricultural Development and Lasse Bruun from the United Nations Foundation agreed – if we can identify common goals between ministries, countries, companies and sectors, we can find ways to share resources and budget, identify key progress indicators, and understand what is – and is not – working. We need to find a way to connect those with ideas to those with funding; finding financial drivers that mitigate risk, such as public private partnerships, will be essential to drive agri-food innovation.

Being an agriculture or food entrepreneur is challenging. Regulatory processes can slow product development or reduce profit, and it can be difficult for innovators to access markets and capital. In Canada, in particular, companies find it challenging to scale; many have found they need to move their operations internationally to find commercial success.

Innovators found benefits when they started small – piloting an idea, building partnerships and trust, and finding their niche. Others found a mindset shift was crucial to success – changing the mindset of both consumers and of internal leaders or stakeholders. A poll of conference attendees agreed: we urgently need to create an environment that supports new ideas and innovators, reducing systematic barriers to participation.

Similarly, the demands on farmers are significant. We are asking our farmers to grow more food while keeping costs low, all while sequestering carbon, mitigating emissions, and dealing with the challenges of a changing climate. We need to support our farmers, including providing compensation for the carbon sequestration and ecosystem services on their farms, and recognizing the toll this work can take on farmer’s mental health. The transformative change we are looking for depends on our farmers.

Equity is Essential

Women – particularly rural women – and young people are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity. Thomas Pesek, from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, shared an FAO report that showed how gender equality in agrifood systems could boost the world’s economy by 1 trillion and lift over 45 million people out of poverty. We need the voices of women, and youth, at the table as decision-makers and as agents of change. Financial instruments that are tailored to support innovators from disenfranchised groups can help to drive change; we need an equity lens on everything we do.

Workforce for Change

As we adapt to a different way of doing things in our food system, we will need to change the way we train the next generation. Our models of education must evolve, providing stronger connections between industry and academia, facilitating opportunities for calculated risk-taking, and fostering an understanding of the interconnections between disciplines and sectors so we can learn from one another.