Food Innovation Hubs for sustainable systems

A Food Innovation Hub in India developed under an initiative by the World Economic Forum (WEF) scales agritech innovations to improve farmer resilience and market development, in collaboration with the state of Madhya Pradesh. This work includes a digital assaying tool used by 1900+ farmers across five marketplaces, where 30 weather stations help to improve crop insurance, soil carbon sequestration covering 2000 hectares of land and digitizing 50 farmer producer organizations. With the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, other states include Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

A Food Action Alliance article states that the India Hub aspires to strengthen local innovation ecosystems using technology and innovation as enablers of the transition needed in food systems in India. The objectives of the India Hub are to: (a) unlock increased and well targeted public and private investments on food and agriculture; (b) strengthen the enabling environment by unlocking policy incentives, partnerships, and capacity building; and (c) improve value and resilience of smallholder farmers, especially women, through increased access to technology solutions and markets. In the last 1.5 years, the India Hub has been able to identify interventions that present a significant opportunity to address inefficiencies, accelerate transformation and support several priorities for agri-food systems through public-private-philanthropic models.

As a report on the WEF website warns, the global food system is one of the world’s largest sources of greenhouse gases. Globally, food production is linked to 70% of biodiversity loss on land. As the human population grows, these impacts will increase. Sustainably nourishing a global population of 9.7 billion by 2050, while meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, will require food systems that are inclusive, sustainable, efficient, nutritious and healthy.

Another WEF report highlights that global food systems are also facing increasing pressures from volatile climate, geopolitics and rising costs. Around 40% of arable land is degraded, 2 billion people suffer from malnutrition, while 33% of food produced for human consumption is either lost or wasted, increasing the global challenge of ensuring a food-secure world. These pressures demand urgent action, innovative solutions and unprecedented collaboration, The Food Innovation Hubs Global Initiative is a response to this need.

The WEF note points out that a fundamental shift in the way we produce and consume food is necessary. Technology and innovations are powerful enablers and catalysts of change. Together with the right collaboration models and investments, these innovations could make food systems one of the most hopeful solutions on climate action, improving water security, reducing equity and nourishing all. That is why the WEF has worked with a diverse set of stakeholders to develop this initiative with the principle that technology and innovation offers a pathway to enable sustainable and resilient food systems that can nourish all.

However, strengthening innovation ecosystems is needed to truly capture the pace of technology in food systems. These ecosystems need to offer new collaboration models, insights and market-led investment opportunities that can support adoption and acceleration of technology that is fit-for-purpose. Alongside mobilizing unique partnerships and country-led innovation ecosystems, the focus is also to drive insights on the latest frontiers in innovation, share knowledge, and foster entrepreneurship.

This is achieved through the Food Innovators Network (FIN), which brings together the food systems innovation community including entrepreneurs, investors, private sector, policy experts, governments, technology experts, farmer organizations and thought leaders. Since 2021, six pace-setter hubs are under development across the world connected by a global FIN. Through these hubs and the network, the initiative aims to accelerate fit-for-purpose technology and innovations to secure a positive food future. It also drives insights on the latest frontiers in innovation and has two thematic working groups – protein innovation and data and digital solutions.

This initiative has been catalysed by the WEF with diverse organizations including support from the Government of Netherlands, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A UAE hub was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 (COP28). It focuses on becoming an innovation centre for arid climate food futures. Its pillars include accelerating arid climate production systems, addressing supply chain challenges, and integrating sustainable alternatives into diets.

Meena Janardhan