Blink:

I was researching upcycled foods which are made from ingredients otherwise destine for food waste when I learned about Biomass Resin Holdings. The company, located in Japan takes irregular rice normally discarded and turns the waste into a bioplastic. An innovative product which crosses two hurdles with one leap.

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Hurdle #1 (Upcycled Product): Their innovative manufacturing process which was first conceived 20 years ago, starts with irregular rice normally thrown out by farmers. The rice utilized is old or considered inedible due to bad flavor thus not suitable to sell at Retail.  The rice is then mixed with a small amount of polypropylene which is considered an environmentally conscious form of plastic since it is biodegradable, does not release toxins, and has a relatively low carbon foot print. The result, is a bioplastic material which can be used for cups & table ware, bento boxes, everyday trash bags, toys, and smartphone covers.

Hurdle #2 (Plastic Replacement): Being a food futurist (a.k.a. planet earth wellness advocate), I am concerned mankind is choking on plastic. Macro stats (primary source: IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature):

• Approximately 400 million tons are produced every year. Without changes in regulations and innovation some environmentalist project plastic waste to triple by 2060 exceeding over one billion tons.
• Globally only 9% is recycled.
• The plastic produced is used for a wide variety of applications – an estimated 50% are created for single-use items (e.g., shopping bags, cups, and straws).
• At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year and comprise 80% of all marine debris both in surface waters and deep-sea sediments.

Relevancy: In an old post I referred to a 2019 study by WFF International which concluded we ingest approximately 5 grams of microplastic per week which is the equivalent weight of one plastic credit card. Imagine adding one American Express card to your weekly diet!

In closing, thanks to being a food futurist specializing in food-away-from-home marketing, I am bullish about the upcycled food movement, thus monitor its progress closely. Learning about Biomass Resin Holdings, an innovative company in Japan transforming repurposed rice into a product which is a solution to curb plastic wastes’ negative toxic impact on planet earth’s environment, excites me! Validates one organization can make a difference, plus makes me optimistic if we add up all the environmental innovation being implemented globally, we are on the right path to nurse planet earth’s wellness back to manageable levels.

Opinions Welcomed!

Blink:

Yesterday my French teacher was telling me to be patient. She went on to explain how French is a very difficult language to learn and she understood the risk I took moving here only knowing tourist French. I then shared with her my mantra: No Risk, No fun!  Forever relevant.           

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I posted No Risk, No Fun on my blog back in November, 2021. I quoted one individual who has inspired me: Japanese violinist Daishin Kashimoto, concertmaster (since 2009) with the Berlin Philharmonic often recognized as the world’s finest orchestra – “Taking risks means, of course, that there are times when we come up short. No risk, no fun!” Coincidentally, after having the risk conversation with my French teacher, later that day, I watched the Netflix sports documentary “The Playbook A Coaches Rules for Life” specifically the segment on Jill Ellis. Jill coached the United States women’s nation soccer team which won two consecutive FIFA women’s World Cups in 2015 and 2019. One of her rules: Risk is opportunity. Definitely in synch with Daishin’s wisdom “no risk no fun!”          

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

I am an advocate for the AI technology being designed/implemented to solve our planet’s health and environmental issues. Today I would like to provide an update and give kudos to the startup Freshflow who has developed software to help grocers reduce food waste.                       

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The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization released their report “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023” earlier in the month. They estimated between 691 million to 783 million people faced hunger last year. If you were to look at the median of their calculations roughly 735 million, it equates to 122 million more people went hungry than in 2019 before the pandemic disrupted the world. They also revealed nearly 30 percent of humanity or approximately 2.4 billion people did not have access to adequate food last year (2022) and 3.1 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet. Note: Given the complexity of measuring world hunger, the U.N. defines hunger as the long-term or persistent inability to meet minimum dietary requirements. Alarming! A major setback to the U.N.’s charter of eliminating hunger by 2030.

Solution? There is no one solution. It will take a variety of innovative solutions in the global food system to eliminate hunger. A good starting point I addressed in my original Innovative Planetary Technology post would be precision agriculture, Agritech, the use of AI technology and technological innovation to improve the efficiency and maximize output of agricultural processes. However, I am concerned the progress of AI data driven agriculture will be slowed down by the ravages of climate change. Consequently, I believe a pressing problem we are currently contending with is the environmental impact of reduced food waste which can also generate numerous solutions to eliminate hunger. Note: The UN estimates 17 per cent of total food produced annually goes to waste at both the retail and consumer level. Fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) at retail is a leading contributor of food waste primarily attributed to antiquated (e.g., manual) stocking systems. Freshflow, a Berlin- based software company has developed an AI-powered automated forecasting platform to predict the amount of produce a retailer will need. Different data point factors analyzed include weather, season, and local events as well as historic retailer data to forecast supply and demand. An early adapter, one of Germany’s leading grocery retailers has already experienced 30 per cent less food waste which also resulted an estimated 17 per cent revenue boost.

Remember, the management of waste reduction in produce throughout the global food system thanks to AI driven platforms like Freshflow, is an immediate solution to fight hunger by reallocating the unused produce normally wasted.

Opinions Welcomed!

Blink:

Global heat records have been surging this summer. Consequently, I am constantly reviewing innovative solutions which are being implemented to offset the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions in the food-away-from-home and hospitality sectors. An interesting update.

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In an old post Menu Greenwashing, as a food futurist, I questioned whether consumers will make food-away-from-home food choices based on the environment. Earlier this week I read about the U.K. company SKOOT which has created an Eco-Contribution tool designed to enable establishments to counteract the emissions generated from every meal by planting trees. How does it work? Upon receiving their bill, diners can choose to pay the optional Eco-Contribution set by the restaurant to offset emissions from the meal by planting a tree (note: each tree removes CO2). SKOOT estimates to date they have planted 800,000 trees with their tool which has countered a significant amount of CO2. Sounds good/positive! My thoughts:

• For restaurants to truly reduce the impact of their greenhouse emissions they will have to closely examine reducing their food waste, scrutinize their supply chain (e.g., responsible sourcing), as well as the energy they utilize for cooking.
• Are restaurants addressing how they are reducing their menu’s carbon footprint, really a marketing ploy (a.k.a. greenwashing) targeting environmentally conscious consumers. More importantly, as I have stated before, I question whether consumers will make food-away-from-home food choices based on the environment.

Opinions Welcomed!           

Blink:

I have previously posted about consumer food choices, specifically as it relates to key decision drivers – one being improved nutrition (e.g., increased fiber, sugar reduction). Recently I learned about the food dichotomy between indulgent versus health & wellness, especially when it comes to snacking.

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The CEO of Hostess Brands, Inc. during an appearance on” Yahoo! Finance” discussed the robust growth of snacking, a macro trend which accelerated during the pandemic. Nearly 50% of consumers, according to his company’s consumer data, on average snack three or more times a day an increase of 8% in the past two years. He also stated indulgent snacks are increasing at a greater rate than health & wellness or functional snacks. In response, Hostess in order to drive their overall category growth is marketing smaller, convenient bite size snacks so consumers do not compromise their craving for indulgence.

Note: The IFIC (International Food Information Council) just released their annual survey which indicated snacking frequency remained elevated for the second straight year. 72% of Americans snack at least once a day in addition to their main meals, the most common reason (41% an increase from 34% since 2022) respondents attributed to hunger or thirst. Other top reasons for snacking include the perception that snacks are a treat (29%) and the desire for sweet (21%) and salty (21%) snacks.

U.S. snack sales last year surpassed $180 billion, an 11% increase versus the previous year. Who are some of the market leaders in the snacking category? Reese’s, Lays, Hershey’s, M&M’s, Doritos, Oreos, Cheetos, Snickers, and Kit Kat bars to name a few. Sounds like a lot of cookies, crackers, bars, chips, and treats – not exactly an assortment of healthy snacks. Hence, what about all the hype regarding Americans eating healthy? According to Statista Consumer Insights, 50 percent of Americans claim to actively try to eat healthy according to their own testimonies. The fact is most people in the United States do not eat a healthy diet and consume too much sodium, saturated fat, and sugar, increasing their risk of chronic diseases. For example, fewer than 1 in 10 adolescents and adults eat enough fruits or vegetables (note: both can be consumed as snacks). Three more documented facts which are telling of the American eating behavior:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found out that more than 36 percent of Americans are consuming fast food regularly, to the extent that on any given day, a third of Americans are eating from fast food restaurants.

• A survey conducted by the Cleveland clinic disclosed 46 percent of U.S. adults said a barrier to eating more healthy foods was their price. Almost a quarter of Americans stated that they had little time to cook and prepare healthy foods, while 20 percent said they did not know how to cook healthy foods.

• IFIC reported limiting the amount of sodium and sugar in foods for their health/diet to be 55% and 45% respectively among their survey respondents. Relatively low or indicative of consumers craving for salty and sweet snacks in the afternoon and evening thus the rationale for the robust snack sales for the category leaders listed above.   

Later today when you experience a hunger bout and desire a snack, think about this post. You will need to choose between an indulgent or health & wellness food product. Is there a dichotomy when it comes to making a snacking decision?

Opinions Welcomed!

A year ago, today I fulfilled my mother’s wish and scattered her ashes in the shimmering Mediterranean Sea.

A Touch of Humanity    

Blink:

Candidly. I am getting drained staying informed about our toxic turvy world. The war in Ukraine, U.S. gun violence, the spike in hate crimes, the prolonged global pandemic. What is going on with humanity? Being a pragmatist, on a micro level, I still remain positive especially after this past Thursday.

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My mother passed away in April at 102-years and 3-months old. It was her dream to move on in the south of France and have her ashes scattered in the shimmering Mediterranean Sea. Last Thursday was a special day as I fulfilled her wish.

To make it happen, I made arrangements with the Les Sauveteurs (Lifeguards) en Mer in Cannes. I identified a captain who would take me out during his lunch hour to scatter my mother’s ashes. He needed a crew of four, thus went online for volunteers. Six people signed up. Ironically the Mediterranean was not shimmering last Thursday. It was pouring rain. The captain navigated the rescue boat to a location I had designated. When we arrived at the spot, the rain stopped and we conducted a brief ceremony. On the way back to the port, I asked those volunteers who spoke English why they signed up. Their reply: they enjoy helping people, especially someone who wanted to conduct a special ceremony. A truly amazing experience I shared with seven strangers further validating for me, despite what is going on in this world, there is still a bright side to humanity.

Blink:

In today’s post I would like to explore a great word, ephemeral.

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Ephemeral (adjective) – lasting for a very short time. Examples:

• Fads!
• A great glass of wine.
• Your favorite junk food snack.
• A good piece of sushi.
• Most of your internet connections. Note: Think about all the people you connected with strictly in the digital world (e.g., LinkedIn) who you are still actively engaged with since day one.
• The career of a professional tennis player.
• A bad Netflix movie.
• Airplane friendships – people you engage with who happen to be sitting next to you on a plane.
• Good customer service.
• A Mediterranean cloud burst.
• A shot of Novocain.
• Hiccups.
• Great belly laughs!

Do you have any additions to the list?

Blink:

I just finished a research project validating Gen Z, the segment of population born from 1995 to 2010 (20.7% of total population), crave bold global flavors, thus will be a driving consumer force in global cuisine in the U.S. market. Marketers have been coveting Gen Z for years now. Why?

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Gen Z’s moniker is “digital natives” given that they grew up in a digital world, exposed to the internet, social platforms/networks, and mobile systems. According to the research company Morning Consult, 50% of Gen Z use social media daily, on average 2 hours and 43 minutes. Consequently, marketers believe they have a persuasive influence on people of all ages and incomes. Business Insider estimated in 2022 their spending power was over $360 billion in disposable income more than double the amount of spending estimated at the end of the last decade. Therefore, without over processing, Gen Z, approximately 68.6 million living in the United States, represent a sensible consumer base to target. Absolutely! However, smart marketers are always skating to where the puck is going to be, thus they are now beginning to focus on the next consumer demographic bucket, Gen Alpha.

Gen Alpha (a.k.a. “mini-millennials” because they are the children of Millennials) is the demographic born after Gen Z in 2010; the cutoff being born as a Gen Alpha is 2025. The first generation born entirely in the 21^st century composed of children currently under the age of 12 who by 2023 the oldest will be teenagers. By 2025 they are estimated to be 2 billion globally the largest generation in history, which equates to mammoth buying power. How are marketers gearing up to tap into this demographic?

• A recent survey conducted by the market research company GWI revealed 38% of children spend most of their time on social media after school. The number jumps up to 43% on the weekends and they prefer online engagement instead of seeing their friends in person. In addition to their peer connectivity via social media, they are also socially aware of global issues and concerned about the planet’s environment. Consequently, marketers must be authentic/transparent in their communications and address how products, services, as well as industries (e.g., fast fashion) will impact the environment and society long-term. Gen Alpha want solutions.
• Given the social platforms Gen Alpha prefer (e.g., TikTok, YouTube, etc.) marketers need to be cognizant of the fact they are growing up during a content creator boom. They need to create experiences, not just products. One way is to encourage meaningful user-generated content.

Targeting Gen Alpha represents a new marketing challenge given they will evolve into the most socially aware and digitally savvy generation to date. More research needs to be conducted, especially how to effectively connect with them in the social media platforms and virtual communities they will heavily engage in. Smart marketers, time to skate to where the puck is going to be.

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

Back on this day in 1803, the great American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson was born. His primary mantra was about self-reliance – learning to be yourself, practicing making your own judgements and holding your own values. Today I want to share my favorite Waldo quote.

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Success is….

• To laugh often and much;
• To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
• To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
• To appreciate beauty;
• To find the best in others;
• To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
• To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

Blink:

Did you know this week is Food Waste Prevention Week. I have a few thoughts I would like to share with my readership today.

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A relevant update on food waste: In the United States (source: Feeding America) it is estimated 119 billion pounds of food is wasted which equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion. Food goes to waste spanning numerous lifecycle stages during its journey from farm to plate (or landfill) – every stage of food production and distribution to our homes. Greenly, an organization providing climate change technology solutions projects over 30% of food globally is lost or wasted each year. In addition to stressing the social impact of food waste, given the number of hungry people in the world, they emphasize the environmental impact of food waste which is huge source of GHG (greenhouse gas emissions). A recent Nature Food study revealed 9.3 gigatons (sounds like a huge number!) of carbon dioxide is associated with food loss and waste which they estimate is half the total carbon released by the global food system annually. Note: Their current study’s estimate is double the amount of their previous research findings.

The Food Waste Prevention Week movement began in 2021. It now has grown to 500 plus organizations (a.k.a. partners) across the food, business, government, and education sectors collaborating to educate and encourage cultural change to reduce food waste to address food insecurity, and support a healthier environment. Their portal provides informative webinars for viewers about food waste, as well as educational content. I highly recommend taking time out to visit their site.

Ubuntu the title of this post is a word I learned recently when I watched a Netflix sports documentary about a championship basketball coach. Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning “humanity to others” the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity; we all belong to a greater whole and when we are weaken, others are also weaken. My point being, we are all impacted by the toxicity of the planet – coronaviruses, the climate crisis, pollution, consumer waste, etc., etc., etc. The Food Waste Prevention Week movement is a noteworthy starting point, but it will take more than one awareness week and 500 plus partners to address food waste or any other planetary issue. It will take strong leadership and 24/7/365 Ubuntu.

Opinions Welcomed!