Coalitions for future food scenarios Embassy of Food
How do you collaborate with different stakeholders and designers to develop new solutions to complex food issues? The Embassy of Food creates open coalitions where designers are central as translators of the complexity of our food system. By sharing knowledge and organising design sessions, we bring together a wide range of partners – from supermarkets and farmers to policymakers and cultural institutions.
Our partners are seen as experts on food issues. What happens when we combine their knowledge and experience with the design strengths of various designers? This was the starting point during our last design session. In collaboration with Eva Oosterlaken of Futurall, which focuses on ‘people-led change’—collective ownership for change—we sowed ‘Seeds of the Future’. Together, we explored where improvement is needed and innovations can occur.
During this session, we took a closer look at the dairy chain, one of the most complex chains today. Themes such as biodiversity, true value, animal welfare, new earning models for farmers and plant-based alternatives took centre stage. These joint efforts led to innovative solutions and new perspectives, which form the basis for our programme around The Wheel of 5 for 12 during Dutch Design Week (DDW), where the conference on 24 October and the expo are the highlights.
Would you also like to participate in another session? Our next meet-up is on 10 July during the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR), where we will focus on the food transition to plant-based proteins. With contributions from Peter Veenstra of Lola Landscape Architecture and Anna Louisa Peeters of TU Delft, it promises to be an inspiring session. Be quick, as places are limited!