Feeding the Future with 'Hyper-Local' Food

It was Mahatma Gandhi who said 'the future depends on what we do in the present'.

If we accept this idea as a guide to our everyday reality, it means the future we are living into is being shaped as much by our daily actions as our long term vision.

When we consider that on average, we spend 16% of our income on food, 1 in 5 deaths globally are connected to poor diet and food waste alone is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, everyday actions linked with food provide not only a powerful way to influence the future, but a significant leverage to address multiple challenges.

The idea of leverage is particularly relevant today given current economic concerns which add to already high levels of concern about personal wellbeing, climate change and the environment.

The opportunity this provides for organisations across the food sector is to find ways to guide and inspire consumers to take action connected with food in a way that addresses multiply challenges. By doing so, we have the opportunity to empower people with actions that provide them with a sense of optimism.

One company that is leveraging the power of food to influence the future, and inspiring change in the process, is aquaponic vertical farming company Farmwall.

Farmwall offers urban food growing units to workplaces and schools and run educational workshops to highlight how food can be produced in a hyper-local manner, no matter where you are.

According to Co-Founder, Serena Lee, also recognised as one of Smart Companys’ 30 Under 30:

"Our mission is to create cities that feed our planet. We know as a start up we are not going to be the ones responsible for doing everything and solving the world's problems but what we can do is create the tools and experiences that enable people to install a permanent attitude change so this flows on to them being the change we want to see".

Farmwall units and the company’s educational program impact on six pillars of wellbeing including helping participants develop a sense of mastery, creating positive relationships with others, developing a sense of autonomy, self acceptance and learning, personal growth, and connection to a bigger purpose.

With the business being designed around an educational model, the Farmwall team are very committed to addressing the one key barrier to why people don't urban farm more - it takes work.

"We intentionally teach and share the journey of establishing and maintaining the Farmwall units with workplaces and schools and their participants. We've been able to demonstrate how easy it is to grow food by taking people on this journey.

"We like to call it the digital community garden and it's the educational component that has been what has enabled it to really take off."

A Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) report outlined major themes that will dominate the coming decades as we take stock of the impact of COVID19. Included within their predictions is an acceleration in the application of emerging technologies, including those associated with vertical farming.

Given this, Farmwall are well positioned directly in the pathway for accelerated growth, and with that, are creating the everyday steps needed to realise their vision of building cities that will feed our future.

For further details on Farmwall go here.