Dozens of food items – either brand-new or redesigned using nature-friendly circular economy principles – are set to hit the market following an 18-month project by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Some 141 products by 57 organisations in 12 countries – including the likes of Nestlé, Waitrose, Wildfarmed and First Milk – are part of the Big Food Redesign Challenge, described by the foundation as a project that “aimed to inspire the food sector to design products to help nature thrive”.
Innovations from the challenge, run in collaboration with the Sustainable Food Trust, were unveiled at an event in London’s Fortnum & Mason last week. They include burgers made from blended beef and seaweed to reduce environmental impact; a range of ready meals designed to lower carbon impact from regenerative and organic British farms; and a new take on the classic digestive biscuit using upcycled apple pulp.
A number of successful products are now available online and in-store through major retailers including Abel & Cole, Carrefour Brasil and Fortnum & Mason, while Waitrose will roll out 25 products in 22 stores across England and Wales from 12 February.
Challenge participants were required to submit products which were designed to regenerate nature by incorporating principles such as diversified crops, upcycled ingredients, and lower-impact or regenerative methods of farming.
The showcase also unveiled a new ‘Nature in Mind’ logo, allowing retailers the opportunity to identify food and drinks selected with marketing material as part of the challenge, both in-store and online.
“Regenerating nature lies at the heart of the circular economy and is vital to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss,” said Ellen MacArthur Foundation CEO Jonquil Hackenberg. “How we produce and consume food is one of the most powerful ways we can do that and the products in the challenge have shown this is possible.”
By rethinking the ingredients and their production, “participants demonstrated that through intentional design choices, we can produce food that helps nature to thrive – unlike today’s current food system which tends to make nature fit our needs”, Hackenberg added.
“Now we’ve shown what is possible, it’s time to take bold steps and build a new food system that is better for people, nature and climate.”
Launched in May 2023 following a successful bid for funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund, and additional support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Schmidt Family Foundation, the challenge received more than 400 applications from producers, startups, suppliers and retailers across the globe.
The project “directly addresses the urgent need to move towards farming systems which produce food in harmony with nature”, said Patrick Holden, founder and CEO of the Sustainable Food Trust.
“A growing number of food businesses and retailers are recognising the importance of supporting sustainable farm practices,” he added. “The more that we can do to drive demand for ingredients that support diverse, resilient and circular farming models, the easier the farming transition to more sustainable systems will be.”
James Bailey, executive director of Waitrose, said: “Our customers love great food and we know there’s a growing appetite for sustainable farming.
“The Big Food Redesign Challenge has been a fantastic opportunity to champion innovation, and we’re excited to bring more nature-inspired products to our shelves.”
A full list of selected products can be found at the Nature in Mind website.
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