“Making Big Moves” Reflections on the 2022 TEHNS Summit (Technology, Education, Health, Nutrition and Sustainability)
The opening comments still reverberate: “In the US we still have struggles getting enough food to eat today and increasing population in obesity but high in malnourishment”. “The world is off course to meet nutrition and hunger targets. Acceleration and progress is needed”. Chris Mau is on a mission to “make big moves” to address the growing challenges of nutrition and food insecurity.
“Challenges give way to creativity, and that leads to innovation”
On Tuesday December 6th 2022, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company Grow Local, leading the mission to “Feed the Future”, founded by Chris Mau and Kevin Higgins, hosted the inaugural globally attended “TEHNS Summit” as part of a $500 million initiative in conjunction with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
The summit brought together “industry leaders to equip, amplify, and drive impactful results in Global Health and Nutrition by utilizing Technology and Education in intentionally Sustainable ways”, via a nationwide campaign to address food insecurity for millions of Americans. Almost 3,000 participants across 5 different continents attended the event in-person and virtually.
The gathering was a catalyst for action with major announcements made to include the allocation of the $500 million funds in the following way:
$100 million going towards research initiatives concerning nutrition, health, agriculture and behavioral changes, through partnership and contributions.
$100 million towards healthcare, nutrition access and training.
$300 million towards education programs over the course of 5 years, from pre-K through age 12 to reach the youth to make changes in their eating habits and extend nutrition education from the schools to the home.
I was inspired by the passion of the speakers and panel members taking the lead to make a difference in this global and national effort. There is no individual or organization too small or too big to participate in changing the landscape of nutrition, building awareness and education, and taking action to create a sustainable, long-lasting impact on our collective health and well-being.
The Importance of Nutrition Education and Youth
Children develop most of their preferences for food by age 12. In these critical years, we have an opportunity to educate the youth about nutrition and equip them with the skills to make healthy food choices. “The most common nutrition-related problems among U.S. children include overweight and obesity, iron-deficiency anemia and high blood cholesterol levels” - Personal Nutrition, Marie Boyle “The Life Cycle: Conception Through The Later Years”
There is a growing need to address policy changes as it relates to school nutrition. Katherine Soll, Founder & CEO at Teens for Food Justice is leading the effort to end food insecurity through a youth-led movement that brings hydroponic farming into the school. Katherine’s mission is to train the youth to become the leaders in this marketplace. The students that participate in her organization solve problems in nutrition and “re-imagine the system” such as developing creative ways to provide a nutritious plant-based/vegan school lunch within the confines of the current $4.34 per student allocation. The students worked together to prepare a locally grown option that was presented and distributed throughout their cafeteria.
“Make the investment on the front end around thinking about health and education or we will pay for it on the back-end. Invest in the future of nutrition education.”
Technology and Innovation in Nutrition
Technology such as vertical farming and hydroponics are realized uses in building resilience in the food supply chain - bringing the production of fruits, vegetables, plant-based foods closer to the consumer on a local level. (Pictured here is the AquaTree™ Table Top 2-Level with Grow Light)
Innovation in food technology such “upcycling” - the ability to turn food waste from plants to new ingredients into products while retaining their nutritional value and health benefits, supports both nutrition and sustainability efforts.
Marvin Moncada, PhD at Plants for Human Health Institute shared emerging food technology innovations that can incorporate dried powder plant-based ingredients into shelf-stable food products while retaining key nutrients such as vitamin C and antioxidants.
Imagine a world where we can turn plant food waste into nutrient-dense and health-benefiting products! Using “Food as Medicine” in the most sustainable way for the environment and for our humankind.
My Personal Thoughts
Nutrition has always been important in my personal life. I experienced first-hand, the positive impact of making healthy choices for my overall well-being.
At age 21, I became a vegetarian with very little knowledge and support then (2001) about how to be a healthy vegetarian. I stumbled my way through to make good choices with the information that I had at the time, and made some bad choices along the way.
Now, as a 42-year old (with 2 active children) that maintains the desire to live a long healthy active life, it became increasingly more important to become educated on the benefits of sustaining personal nutrition for my lifetime (100% plant-based in my case) and to extend my knowledge to encourage, equip and support others.
The 2022 TEHNS Summit was a great source of inspiration for me to continue building upon my personal experience and background, to educate, support and enable others to make good nutrition lifestyle choices that not only impact their own well-being but in turn positively impacts the greater-good. When we take care of ourselves and use “Food as Medicine”, we are also taking care of others from a social, environmental and sustainability standpoint.
The advances in technology such as regenerative farming to provide more sustainable methods of food production and using vertical farming to bring more nutritious foods closer to communities, is astounding. There is no shortage of innovation happening right now, the future looks bright. With on-going challenges in our food supply chain, there is a burning platform to be creative and find ways to provide nutritious foods to those in need, where they need it, and at the exact time that they need it.
As I reflect on the summit and the calls to action, I’m encouraged by the many opportunities to be a part of the change. I encourage you, the reader, to think of your own role in improving the overall health and well-being of our humankind. Starting with, YOU. What can you do today to take charge of your own nutrition and wellness, and how can you spark inspiration in others around you to do the same? There is no better time than, now.
Stay Fit and Green!
