This summer has been something of a watershed moment for food innovators. From food waste solutions (and issues) to a food tech failure, here are some of the most newsworthy stories:
Sticky Issues in Food Waste
Civil Eats reminds us that compost is not a silver bullet, either for the environment or for communities. “We have to realize that we want to waste less, not just recycle more,” points out Martin Borque of the Berkeley Ecology Center. But some food waste products aren’t always fit for human consumption, like crab, shrimp, and lobster shells. Nature makes the case for developing methods to use valuable chemicals in those shells, like nitrogen-rich chitin, calcium carbonate, and protein. Modern Farmer features innovative techniques breweries are using to recycle beer by-products.
Eating Meat, and Thinking it Through
Orion Magazine addresses one woman’s quest to be a conscious carnivore. Gina Warren puts her ethics to the test to see if she’s really comfortable eating meat. The piece serves as a great reminder that meat can be part of a sustainable, mindful diet — if it’s consumed with care.
70 Good Food Companies — and Counting
The ‘good food innovation movement’ is growing steadily, thanks in part to organizations like these 70 listed by Food+Tech Connect. Some of our favorites: Hot Bread Kitchen, a bakery that supports foreign-born and low-income men and women and bakes delicious breads from around the world; Barnraiser, a crowdfunding platform specifically for sustainable food projects; and Farm Hack, an open-source community where farmers share tips, tools, and technologies they’ve found helpful on their own farms.
Good Eggs Gone Bad
Food+Tech Connect wrote a great analysis of why our favorite sustainable food delivery service closed its operations everywhere except San Francisco. Many lessons to be learned for food tech ventures of all types.
We already miss you, Good Eggs.