Matchmaking for food systems change

Solidaridad and partners made it to the final stage of the Food Systems Game Changers Lab, participating in collaborative sessions for two months leading up to the UN Food Systems Summit 2021.

The Food Systems Game Changers Lab or FSGCL was developed in support of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021, taking place on 23 September. The FSGCL is a global programme to build a better food future, initiated by EAT, IDEO, Thought For Food, The Rockefeller Foundation and Forum For the Future. The aim of the programme is to discover and support ideas, enterprises and initiatives that have the potential to transform our world’s food systems and connect the most promising initiatives to peers, experts, relevant networks and funders.

Through a global challenge organized earlier this year by Thought for Food, the programme has identified game changers “who have ideas, initiatives, and innovations that can bring positive change to global food systems—and the passion, grit, collaborative spirit, and determination required to take their solutions forward in partnership with others.”

TWO SOLIDARIDAD GAME CHANGING INITIATIVES READY FOR MATCH MAKING

Two initiatives of Solidaridad and partners were selected. After more than two months of hard work they have made it to the final stage, in which the so-called Cohorts they are part of enter a match making process. 

The proposal ‘Connecting the Dots: Smart Partnerships for systemic transformation of food Ingredient supply chains and marketing’, was submitted by natural ingredients B2B platform 1-2-Taste from the Netherlands, with partners Solidaridad and ProFound. While initially placed in Cohort 20, Cohort 23, Making Markets for Farmers, proved to be a better match. The platform makes high-quality sustainably produced natural ingredients easily available for small and medium buyers, who are not served by the dominant market players. Through a sustainability services concept Solidaridad is providing support to SME suppliers and farmers to onboard the digital platform and connect to the digital economy. This more direct and transparent way to sell their products is to provide SMEs and farmers with a more equitable share and income.

The proposal Transforming Urban Food, submitted by Solidaridad and Santa Food, is part of Cohort 18, Building Resilient Local Food Systems. The collaboration is an innovative way of democratizing access to healthy food made from local, climate-smart ingredients, creating a positive impact for people and the planet. Santa Food delivers healthy, fresh, ready, and sustainable meals, while generating incomes for often vulnerable women working from home. The ingredients come from peri-urban organic farmers supported by Solidaridad to develop high quality, varied and healthy crops.

COHORT ACTION AGENDAS READY FOR PRESENTATION TO SCALING PARTNERS

The individual submissions of the Cohort members in their own way all contribute to the joint Action Agendas the Cohort members were asked to jointly develop. The process was meant to stimulate systems thinking, provide the participants with tools to develop the joint action agenda and fine tune their individual solutions. Cohort participants were to identify needs and possible solutions and scaling partners for their joint Action Agenda and then asked to prepare a pitch for the matchmaking event which will take place from September 27th, to October 15th. The event will also provide an opportunity for bilateral matchmaking between participants. 

We look forward to the event and to meeting up with scaling partners who are open and willing to venture with us into innovative and game changing solutions for shared goals and change that matters.