Way to Future Food

Be it social change, the climate crisis or technological progress: the food industry is constantly facing new changes. With the Way to Future Food (W2FF) initiative, the Nutrition Cluster at the Competence Centre for Nutrition (KErn) and Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung have made it their joint task to offer the various actors a platform for constructive exchange. The declared goal is to define challenges within the framework of various event formats and to work out possible solutions with experts in order to jointly shape a sustainable food system. The first of these will be a three-part series of events on the topic of insects starting at the end of June, which interested food stakeholders are cordially invited to attend free of charge. A physical event is also being planned.

Way to Future Food: Initiative faces challenges of the food industry

The Way to Future Food (W2FF) initiative sees itself as a platform that addresses the various players in the food sector and offers them the opportunity for constructive exchange on current topics relevant to the sector with the inclusion of expert voices. Within the framework of various event formats, challenges are to be jointly defined and possible solutions developed. The choice of topics is as varied as the composition of the participants themselves. From the importance and opportunities of vertical farming to A.I. and machine learning, biosynthetics and precision fermentation as well as alternative protein sources such as cultured meat, fungi or insects: The focus will be on new technologies and raw materials per se, but of course also on the corresponding framework conditions and other relevant topics.

From the vision to the forward-looking partner project

We see Way to Future Food as a pioneering and impulse-giving initiative for the players in the sector," agree the initiators Dr Simon Reitmeier, Managing Director of the Nutrition Cluster, and Frank Alexander Kühne, Chairman of the Foundation Board of Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung . "We see Way to Future Food as a pioneering and impulse-giving initiative for the players in the sector! The two share a common vision: they want to shape the discourse towards a sustainable food system. With this in mind, a project founded in cooperation with Way to Future Food emerged from many years of professional collaboration. The Heinersreuther Hof, which is owned by Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung , plays a not insignificant role in this. As a "free space for food makers", it addresses professional players in the food industry in its role as an event location and offers them a place for culinary inspiration, exchange, experimentation and enjoyment. As a beacon project for innovations in the industry, it sees itself as the physical nucleus of the Way to Future Food initiative.

Digital Insect Symposium: W2FF kick-off with three-part online format

Already at the end of June, the kick-off and thus the beginning of the first W2FF event series under the name Digital Insect Symposium is planned. The target group is companies in the insect industry. The three-part online format will start on Thursday 24 June 2021 with the focus on "Market Check Insect Products". From 5 to 6:30 p.m., guest speaker Jutta Saumweber, Head of the Food and Nutrition Department of the Verbraucherzentrale München e.V., will present the results of a market check with qualitative market research study on insect-containing foods. The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for discussion. The follow-up events on "Insects and food law" with Dr. Kai Purnhagen and "Sensory and functional aspects of insects" with Dr. Ofir Benjamin will take place on 8 and 22 July 2021. Registration for all three events is free of charge at waytofuturefood.eventbrite.de. With the insect symposium in Kulmbach, the first physical event is also already being planned.

For more information on the initiative, please visit www.w2ff.org. Here you can also find the programme preview for the Digital Insect Symposium.