One Size Fits All?

Written by: Siria Contreras

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled “Six Technologies That Could Shake The Food World.” This article included everything from on-demand food printing to farming algae as a protein substitute, leveraging organic agricultural byproducts like grape skin to extend the lifespan of produce, and more.

Amongst the featured, was food-innovator Caleb Harper, of the Open Agriculture Initiative at the MIT Media Lab who continues his work on the game-changing “food computer”, taking the “Have It Your Way” concept to another level (likely not in a direction that Burger King could ever have imagined back when they famously coined it).

This food computer is designed to help identify the optimal growing conditions for certain produce. If I’m honest, the MIT work is not too dissimilar from that which our friend Jonathan Partlow, CEO of Aggressively Organic, who is already out-to-market with an approach more easily accessible amongst varying socioeconomic levels and fluctuating demographics. The Open Agriculture Initiative seems to keep the perpetual modern-day “foodie” or large corporations as its primary audience.

Target demos aside, one of the major themes that this article and many others with a similar focus shine an almost glaring light on is that there is no one way to resolve the issue of food insecurity and other related epidemics that plague our country in this modern age and that it will take multiple approaches to find just the right formula to effect positive and lasting change.

Engaging larger corporations and redefining how they utilize resources in both present day and the future is just as important as educating our various communities on how to also make the most of their resources.

Since this past Spring, as we at The Nourish Foundation have embarked on the journey of coming up with viable solutions in the areas of “nourishment” and “workforce development”, we have encountered many like-minded mavericks within our circles. As we all continue to come together and to delve deeper into these issues, it has become clear that just like us, these Individuals and organizations are passionate about finding ways to improve the ways that our current society identifies and engages with the term “nourishment”.

Most of these individuals, like us, head up their own initiatives and focus on very specific areas within the world. Our conversations have led to an ecosystem of disruptive thinkers who seek solutions and not band-aids and who aren’t afraid to collaborate and share their knowledge and expertise. Our organization understands and embraces the value of open-dialogue and collaboration, which is immeasurable. It is this merging of various backgrounds that we are confident can help us to see results on a greater scale.

So whether its a food computer that can pinpoint the optimal location for growing large quantities of specific produce or developing a convenient and low-effort way to grow their own fruits and veggies that everyday people can implement in their own homes regardless of whether or not they have a backyard or space for a garden, all of this is needed in this highly combustible world where a one size fits all approach will never apply.