Transforming food systems: the role of entrepreneurial minds and youth

How can culture and entrepreneurship lead to greater food security? During the Järvaveckan (Järvaweek) in Stockholm, SIANI and Sida brought together different speakers with diverse perspectives to explore the role of youth and innovation in the transformation of the current broken food system. 

Järvaveckan is a public festival that takes place once a year in early summer. It is a place packed with seminars, political debates and cultural activities – to engage and inspire future generations. This year, SIANI and The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) organised a seminar titled “Will you fix tomorrow’s food?” to highlight how young people and entrepreneurs can change the way food is produced and give more control to local communities. 

Good business

Inez Atmer, Operations lead at Norrsken Accelerator, talked about the role of entrepreneurship in solving food challenges. Her journey in the food sector started at Karma, an app that lets restaurants sell leftovers to Karma users, reducing food waste in the process. Inez now works at Norrsken, a non-profit foundation providing knowledge, capital and networks to entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses with ideas on how to fix environmental challenges, like the broken food system. Norrsken has, for example, offered guidance and funds to Emata in Uganda, a provider of digital loans to farmers. Another beneficiary is Nilus in Argentina, whose business idea is to rescue food before it goes to waste and sell it at discounted prices to low-income families and community kitchens. 

Empowerment and innovation 

Sofia Orrebrink, Lead Policy Specialist in gender equality, and Karolina Zurek, Senior Trade Policy Specialist, from Sida described how the agency supports the shift to more sustainable food systems worldwide. Sofia explained the importance of women’s empowerment in the food sector and how that can benefit all of us. Karolina discussed the role of trade and entrepreneurship in low-income countries. Sida has helped ease export and import regulations, which has simplified the sale of products between African countries. This has, in turn, made it easier for innovators and small-scale producers to gain a foothold in the trade market.  

Smart city farming  

Maria Zachs, founder of the Swedish foundation Voices4Change, invited the Järva participants to meet young people living in the informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, through a short film. One of the protagonists is Moses Wanyoike Kimani from Mathare, a slum area in Nairobi. He has formed the Vision Bearerz Youth Group, which brings together young people who want to improve their lives and help the community. Vision Bearerz tries to find smart solutions that address more than one problem. They have started hydroponic farming, using recycled pet bottles to remove garbage and grow food. The Vision Bearerz Youth Group has been supported by Growth4Change initiative powered by Voices4Change Through their support, Vision Bearerz has learnt more about efficient hydroponic farming and felt the benefits of working as a team. 

Moses is proud of the group’s achievements: 

“We’ve benefited a lot as a group, because it has put an end to idleness in the hood.” – Moses Wanyoike Kimani, Vision Bearerz Youth Group.

The initiative has led to reduced hunger and the empowerment of people who otherwise had few opportunities. Life in informal settlements is hard, with widespread unemployment, violence and crime. However, Vision Bearerz has made it possible to improve their lives. 

The film about Vision Bearerz Youth Group and their climate-smart city farming can be watched here: 

2024 marks the third year that SIANI has participated in Järvaveckan, where the focus lies in fostering meaningful dialogue between stakeholders and citizens, on sustainable development and the food system. SIANI will continue to make efforts to involve and engage people to learn more about the broken food system, and ways to solve it.