Could 'chicken-free' chicken and ‘no-beef’ beef play a part in building a more sustainable future?
Founders Shama Sukul Lee of Sunfed Meats and Michael Fox of Fable Food Co. are two food innovators who are on a mission to boost the world’s intake of plant-based foods and reduce meat consumption - all while satisfying the taste buds of consumers.
Recently, UNSW Founders and the City of Sydney hosted a panel discussion on ‘The Future of Food: How Entrepreneurs are Innovating to Feed the World’ as part of the 2020 Visiting Entrepreneurs Program.
Following a keynote address by Lee, fellow future-minded food entrepreneurs Dr Alexander Soeriyadi, co-founder and CEO of sunlight-harnessing technology company LLEAF, Michael Fox, CEO of 100% plant-based Australian meat-alternative producer Fable Food, and Dianna Somerville, Community Manager for Bridge Hub, a regionally based innovation hub for the agrifood tech industry joined UNSW Founders’ Tash Jamieson on a panel to discuss all things food innovation and food systems.
While food innovation was at the centre of the discussion, the panelists also debated plastic recycling, distribution channels, resource scarcity and even human photosynthesis. Both Lee and Fox strongly encouraged young entrepreneurs to innovate in space of sustainable packaging – aspects in their own food businesses that they believe still require innovation and improvements.
Fox, whose company Fable raised $1.5 million from Blackbird Ventures, Grok Ventures and food industry angel investors late last year, has just hit the shelves of over 600 Woolworths stores across Australia - only six months after the brand launched. He spoke how pricing his first product, a new mushroom-based braised beef, at the same price and taste quality as its meat alternative has been one of the key factors to their successful breakthrough in the market. Fox completed a MBA at the UNSW AGSM.
Soeriyadi, who’s award-winning agritech company LLEAF is a UNSW Founders 10x alumni, spoke about how fixing supply chains is one of the biggest factors in reducing food waste. LLEAF’s technology, which has been tested on three continents, allows farmers to localise their farming operations and increase crop yield by 40%.
From connecting regional farmers to innovation spaces and resources, to linking Aussie agritech researchers to commercialisation opportunities, Sommerville advocated for greater collaboration in agritech between all stakeholders. Sommerville, who graduated from Bachelor of Arts at UNSW, now supports tech innovators to identify, test and commercialise the ideas and technologies of Australian researchers and entrepreneurs for the benefit of farmers and consumers.
If you missed this passionate discussion, you can re-watch via The City of Sydney Visiting Entrepreneurs Program website.
