WFF Masterclass: Foodtech Venture Day – Japan

The World Food Forum (WFF), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Japanese business and innovation investment consulting firm SIGMAXYZ, hosted a special edition Foodtech Venture Day Masterclass on the topic of “Recreating and Upgrading Food Systems through Collective Passion and Wisdom.”

The masterclass showcased a range of Japanese start-ups who are spearheading food innovation, as well as advanced technologies and game-changing solutions to help achieve sustainable, resilient and inclusive food systems.

Designed to engage young people and empower youth from Japan to help transform global agri-food systems, the masterclass included dialogue among scientists, researchers, start-ups, students, UN experts and investors – as well as brought agri-industry perspectives into the WFF2021 flagship event and the upcoming Nutrition for Growth Summit in Tokyo (December 2021).

Over 500 people from both public and private sectors from 21 countries and regions participated in the online Masterclass and engaged in a lively discussion on the 9 September.

Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), opened the Masterclass event. "FAO believes in and supports youth who harness creative energy, leadership and innovative ideas to transform our food systems", said Bechdol. She explained that the WFF is a major youth-led food movement and network of major youth groups and partners, with the common aim of transforming global food systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

She also emphasised the crucial role of the business community in food systems transformation and how the private sector has the potential to help deliver improved nutrition by shaping markets and effective and meaningful public-private partnerships. Creating a better food future for all will depend on how food and beverage markets can provide healthy products, influence healthy and sustainable behaviours, and advocate for public-private partnerships to create better value chains with nutrition goals.

Featured Japanese startups in the masterclass included Euglena, a company solving nutritional challenges with algae; Fermentations, a circular economy producer of ethanol products from grain and fruit waste; Delisfter, a producer of food items for the ageing population; and IntegriCulture a cell culture startup.