FutureFoodMakers: shaping the food sector we all need
We are working with motivated youth representatives accross Europe - the FutureFoodMakers - to ensure that the views of the next generation are heard.
Our food system plays a critical role in some of the biggest challenges the world is facing, from reducing climate change, pollution and waste, to tackling malnutrition, health inequality and obesity. Access to healthy and affordable food is essential to overcome the big food challenge – but this is out of reach for many.
The FutureFoodMakers are a group of youth representatives from across Europe demanding EU wide changes to transform the food system to be more sustainable, including promoting regenerative agriculture, defining uniform nutrition and labelling guidelines, and making food systems more inclusive. This movement is driven by the FutureFoodMakers with the support of EIT Food.
EIT Food launched the FutureFoodMakers initiative in 2021 to ensure that the views of the next generation are heard during crucial discussions about the future of the food system, appointing 10 FutureFoodMakers who worked collaboratively to develop a Menu for Change manifesto outlining a set of clear actions to improve access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food.
The FutureFoodMaker mission
Despite its huge power and influence, the food sector in 2021 left many young people unable to access healthy and affordable food. Now is the time to support the next generation who will be most affected by lack of action, and ensure their voices are heard - and acted on.
Our research found that young people are keenly interested and knowledgeable about healthy eating. However, they lack support to eat healthily and want better advice on the link between what they eat and their mental health. It also revealed that access to healthy food and affordability are key barriers to overcome for young people as well as transparency, evidence-based information and support from food brands and governments.
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With a mission to give young people their voice for the future, in 2021 we launched ‘Our Food, Our Food System’, a campaign led by young people aged 18-24 years old, targeting the food sector and calling for radical change to tackle access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food across the industry. We want to give young people - the FutureFoodMakers - the chance to tell the sector what they want from the future of their food and the future of their food system.
The FutureFoodMaker role
The FutureFoodMakers embody the role of a sustainable food activist; gaining access to the food sector to drive positive change and help design a food system they understand and feel connected to. They worked collaboratively to develop and launch a Menu for Change manifesto that outlined six clear actions the sector needs to address in this critical period. This manifesto was presented to the food industry at the ‘Future of Food’ conference in November 2021.
Since the release of the Menu for Change, the FutureFoodMakers have worked together with decision makers, including policy makers, food manufacturers, retailers and food sector stakeholders.
If you want to become a FutureFoodMaker, email Marta Marin (contact details below). As a FutureFoodMaker, you will have the opportunity to learn about the food system and the innovations at the forefront of positive change and kickstart your career in food. As part of the role, you will have the chance to talk to and meet a wide range of people from across the sector, such as experts at EIT Food, food sector entrepreneurs and food industry professionals such as farmers, producers and manufacturers. You will also have the opportunity to present your ideas about how to shape the future of the food system and call for change in this crucial Decade of Action.
