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When I think of innovating for food, well, I have to admit I’m usually focused on how my family can make dinner something special. Finding a way out of the rut of eating the same food as my children is a pain. But I know, that you know, we’re not here to talk about how I can become an Iron Chef. However, in today’s 168th Terms of Reference Podcast episode, we are here to explore how innovation can be applied to making sure people don’t go hungry. My guest for today’s show is Bernhard Kowatsch. He’s the Head of the Innovation Accelerator at the World Food Programme. The accelerator was launched in 2016 to identify, support and scale high potential solutions to hunger worldwide. This is a fun conversation where Bernhard and I talk about how blockchain can be applied to combating hunger, what it takes to run an accelerator, why we need to always remember to think of innovation as more than just “tech,” and much more. You can connect with Bernhard here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernhardkowatsch/ Tweets by BKowatsch
IN TOR 168 YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT
- Why a food programme has an in-house innovation lab, how it came to be, and how it continues to grow and support of innovations and new technologies for the sustainable supply, delivery, production, livelihoods and food security globally and in immediate cases
- How a global view of issues is implemented to offer sound solutions in the specific realm or food, and how it justified the implementation of a blockchain solution as a voucher system
- The Accelerator’s 5-step process to support ideas, the patterns that have arisen in terms of successful evolution and growth, and addressing the challenges of scaling up
- The importance of human-centered design, working in close proximity to the field, and mixing internal and external talent to tackle food issues
- How software is bringing vast efficiencies at every stage, explaining the majority of ideas evolving at the Accelerator; but how it makes sure tangible solutions also have a place
OUR CONVERSATION FEATURES THE FOLLOWING
Names:
- World Food Programme (WFP)
- WFP’s Innovation Accelerator
- Boston Consulting Group
- ShareTheMeal (app)
- Tech For Food
- Post-Harvest Loss Eradication Project
- Singularity University
- XPRIZE: AI, Tanzania
- Devex
- Fast Company
- TechCrunch
Topics:
- Innovation, acceleration, incubation, Bootcamps, Challenges
- Blockchain
- Food, Food Security
- Vouchers
- Refugees
- Human-centered design
- Nutrition, child, nursing
- Harvest Loss
- Grain storage
- Coworking
- Precision Forecasting
Places:
- Jordan
- Iraq
- Syria
- South Sudan
- Cambodia
- El Salvador
- Lebanon
- Uganda
- Tanzania
EPISODE CRIB NOTES
Download an automated transcript. 02:20 Innovation Accelerator at A World Food Program? WFP is the world’s largest hunger fighting organization From macro hunger alleviation goals, ongoing conflicts to emergency response The IA helps innovations that help reach the goal Startups, innovators that contribute end hunger in any way, shape or form Technologies, Business model Recently 1-year-old WFP has always been keen to innovate AI is a reflection of WFP’s commitment WFP has scaled innovation But a system was needed to consolidate organizational learning Bernhard was at BCG Parallel with working with WFP from BGC co-built ShareTheMeal crowdfunding app Gets called to run AI Spent some time studying innovation accelerators, before deciding to launch one in-house “How could we set up and run a food innovation accelerator?” 05:33 Project portfolio “We started looking for existing projects, as well as new” Building Blocks: Using blockchain for more efficient vouchers and cash transfers A pilot in Jordan with 10,000 refugees Banking fees thwarted, fast wiring Currently scaled in Jordan nationwide “and beyond” Tech for Food: Bring humanitarian models to the XXI century Millions of meals, cash delivered to Syria People also receive training to work and integrate T4F is a 6-week program about food security After they can offer basic IT work freelance online People without formal education prioritized Currently scaling in Iraq Looking for a model that sustains and scales 09:27 Innovation pipeline 5-step process #1 Innovation Challenges They started internally, recently held the first global one #2 Week-long Innovation Bootcamp For entrepreneurs Covers design thinking, etc., as well as global food security challenges It ends with pitch night, with funding and 3-6 months of expert support If the trajectory is good, there’s an acceleration fund for that Other people take part in the fund 250 innovations submitted last year in-house, 150 outside 5-10 got support “We haven’t had a complete failure as of yet” Innovation is as much about team and people as about the idea itself 13:54 How WFP’s AI breaks the mold “As a quality check, teams should evolve their idea” Human-centered design, lean startup Projects end up in places never considered before Maternal nutrition in El Salvador Turns into a monitoring app Covering twice as many kids with the same money Plus there’s analytics on nutritional progress Cross-fertilization was heavily considered But teams are better off wherever they are helping South Sudan, Lebanon, Cambodia AI was not supposed to be so large, but need of local support globally made it logical 17:41 Is an app all there is for that? Software is transversal, eating traditional A&D Post-Harvest Loss Eradication Project Plastic or metal silo for grain storage It predates AI, then was absorbed Uganda can lose 40-50% of their harvest easy Simple techniques bring the number to 1-2% Comes with training, but also local manufacturing Sold and subsidized, not free, through agencies and startups 80K sold in the first year Lives changed, incomes multiplied 20:29 Hurdles, Team Digital skills, low access to technologies Limited knowledge about basic aspects of developing world living From connectivity, to road infrastructure to customs Balancing things missing on a team, learning and development Teaming up also takes place, even though it’s challenging Only when a blockchain expert joined the payments team a way forward was seen Cut-off points allow people from outside Understandably, in-house people are more in-tune with food issues So far, there’s always been a WFP member, and an external agent 24:28 What’s for projects after AI, and for WFP, and for AI? Go commercial, or receive support from another agent Internet access is debatably low, where it would be needed most Same with other infrastructure: roads “If it were easy, it would already be done” Message about innovation has been broadened at WFP Traditional partners have been affected meaningfully about what innovation can achieve As AI projects mature, light on how things scale “We will become more capable, and see more significant differences” “A world without hunger” takes a global view “If wars cause hunger, wars must end” Role and impact of AI will become clearer in the coming years, and so the new roads to take 29:17 Who Bernhard pays attention to Singularity University X Prize: Tanzania, AI Devex Fast Company TechCrunch Artificial Intelligence to fight hunger: Precision forecastingPlease share and participate
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