Our Food, Our Food System: The FutureFoodMakers and the Menu for Change

The food system needs a radical rethink to meet the demands of a growing global population in a healthy and sustainable way. Young people (18–24-year-olds) are vital to this transformation, yet many feel unable to access healthy, sustainable and affordable food.

In response, Greenhouse developed and delivered the 'Our Food, Our Food System' campaign from EIT Food, using the first ever UN Food Systems Summit (Pre-Summit) as a launchpad. The campaign sought to understand what young people want from the food sector and to amplify their demands for radical change to tackle health inequalities, reduce the environmental impacts of food and create food ‘fairness’. It also sought to raise awareness of EIT Food as a European leader on healthy and sustainable food as well as the importance of youth activism.

The campaign launched with new research from 2,000 European 18–24-year-olds, across media, web, social and changemaker, alongside a recruitment call for ten ‘FutureFoodMakers’ – young people who wanted to have their say on the future food system. Nine food sector leaders, including from WEF, the Future Food Institute and food entrepreneurs, were appointed on a judging panel to select the ten FutureFoodMakers.

Facilitated by Greenhouse, the FutureFoodMakers created and owned their 'Menu for Change' - a manifesto with demands for the food system. They presented their manifesto to over 350 policy and business leaders at the Future of Food conference with widespread positive responses, including from European Commission Deputy DG of Health and Food Safety.