FS6 Newsletter - November 2020

FS6 Community News and Updates

After an inspiring month of learning alongside our most recent cohort, we are excited to celebrate the completion of the Huhtamaki Circular Economy Startup Program by FS6 and welcome these eight innovators into the broader Food System 6 ecosystem!

As part of this program, we were thrilled to distribute $300k in equity-free grant funding across the cohort, with three companies receiving additional funding upon completion. SoluBlue and Andes Ag have been awarded $50k in funding to amplify their impact in the circular economy and Nafici Environmental Research received $100k and one year of custom support from Food System 6.
 
Check out the video below to learn more about the Circular Economy Startup Program and to hear from some of our entrepreneurs about why collaboration and community are key to building a more regenerative food future.

What is the Circular Economy?

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Want to hear more from the FS6 community? Check out these recent events, with representatives from FS6, the Circular Economy Cohort, and more!
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• FS6 CEO Caesaré Assad appeared as a panelist on Huhtamaki's Think Circle Event - a virtual roundtable that brought together key stakeholders in the global food value chain to investigate the challenges and opportunities in cultivating a more circular future. View the recording to hear Caesaré dive into the value of collaboration versus competition when designing for circularity.
• Watch "Going Negative to Create Positive Futures"- an event co-hosted by Swissnex San Francisco and FS6. In it, we explore the role of entrepreneurship in nurturing human and planetary health, and how carbontech in the food system can accelerate this healing.

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FS6 Portfolio News

Featured Articles from the FS6 Portfolio:
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• Investing in the Future of Food: Matriark’s ‘Nimble’ Processing Pilot Upcycles Food Fast, Offers Potential Production Path for Scaling Companies ( FoodNavigator, Featuring Matriark Foods)
• Investing in the Future of Food: Could Co-ops Hold a Key to Dismantling Systemic Racism in Food System? ( FoodNavigator, featuring CoFED)
• PODCAST: The Co-Op Scoop: Mark Keller ( Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op, Featuring Keller Crafted Meats)
• Plug and Play Holds Inaugural Startup Program for Ag Tech, Animal Health ( Pet Food Processing, Featuring Andes Ag)
• Announcing the Winner of The USD100K Future Food Asia Award ( Scoop Independent News, Featuring FluroSat)
• FS6 and Huhtamaki Announce Circular Economy Startup Program Participants ( Food & Drink Magazine, Featuring Food System 6)

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SmartCatch is cultivating a more sustainable fishing industry and improving ocean health through their breakthrough technology, the DigiCatch System, which makes precision fishing more accessible by giving fishermen the ability to tune into the activity in their net and source more intentionally.

Emma Weston, Co-Founder and CEO of AgriDigital, shares her perspective on increasing transparency and profitability across the supply chain, as well as her experiences leading an early-stage company through a pandemic in her FoodCrunch audio feature.

A coffee roastery excited to bring a newly discovered Yemeni coffee species to the United States shares the sentiment of prioritizing accessibility over profit when investing in something big. He hopes to serve as a channel for a "global coffee revolution", and believes Port of Mokha to be an essential player and inspiration.

Evidence supporting the positive impact of scratch-cooked school meals on both student health and performance continues to mount. Not to mention, cooking fresh meals on school premises is often a more environmentally and financially sustainable option. Ann Cooper of the Chef Ann Foundation has joined forces with five other school district leaders to form ScratchWorks - a collective committed to bringing scratch cooking to more young learners.

Listen to Center for Good Food Purchasing co-founder, Paula Daniels, as she explains how organizations with existing relationships with local farmers and producers were able to address food insecurity in their communities during challenging times more swiftly than their counterparts.

The Equitable Food Initiative reminds companies of the importance of communicative leaders and employee ownership when cultivating a balanced and healthy workplace. Newly EFI-certified institutions are excited to honor these principles in their efforts to create a more equitable food system.
 
On another exciting note, congratulations to compliance expert Karla Cook for joining the EFI team as Certification Manager!

Scaffolded by a resilient and adaptable processing model, Matriark Foods continues to gain speed as they fight food insecurity and protect nature through upcycling farm surplus. Founder Anna Hammond believes everyone should have access to healthy food, and aims to make this value a reality through her produce-based soups and broths.

Whole Foods named Upcycled food one of 2021's predicted top trends, and Renewal Mill got a shout out! Get ahead of the curve, and treat yourself to their okara-based brownie mix- just in time for the holidays! Trendiness aside, upcycling has become essential in the fight to decrease food waste. Amongst over 400 existing upcycled products, Renewal Mill is redefining boundaries and crafting the "upcycled ingredient platform of tomorrow".

Congratulations to FluroSat on their grand prize win at the 2020 Future Food Asia awards! FluroSat's disruptive agri-tech software, FluroSense, allows growers to hone in on their crops' health with precision and adjust their practices accordingly to save their yield.  Now expanding to Latin American markets, the transformative power of FluroSense continues to spread.

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News & Events from the Ecosystem

PROGRAM OPPORTUNITY: The Kaiteki Challenge
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​The Greentown Labs KAITEKI Challenge, in partnership with Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC), is focused on innovations that will enable sustainable consumption in daily life. This six-month program will foster collaboration between MCHC and startups innovating in proteins, plastics, and packaging, with the goal of accelerating much-needed climatetech solutions. Applications are due February 10, 2021.

Learn more and apply here.

WEBINAR: Real Food Real Stories Monthly Gathering
​December 3, 2020 at 12:00pm PST

Real Food, Real Stories (RFRS) is highlighting the growing revival of cultural practices based in seasonal nutrition, reciprocal relationships, and stewardship of land and water by honoring the stories of indigenous change-makers who are revitalizing their ancestral traditions. Tune into the December 3rd gathering to learn more from Corrina Gould about reconnecting with culturally rooted, ecologically responsible food practices. Register here. 

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Other Articles We're Enjoying:
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• Patagonia-Backed Report Says Lack of ‘Trusted Technical Assistance’ Major Barrier to Regenerative Ag ( AgFunder Network, featuring FS6 partner Jennifer O'Connor)
• Better Conversations: A Starter Guide ( The On Being Project)
• Turning Towards Each Other: A Conflict Workbook (Jovida Ross & Weyam Ghadbian)
• PODCAST: Edible Schoolyard Project, Angela McKee-Brown ( FoodCrunch)
• VIDEO: Why Impact Investing  ( Luc Thijssen)
• The Challenge of Reducing Food Loss and Waste During COVID-19 ( United Nations)
• VIDEO: Solving Plastic Pollution ( Ellen MacArthur Foundation)