The Prototype Concepts

Feedback Loops

PEER TO PEER NETWORK

• Pain point: There is bountiful knowledge on waste reduction but sharing of/access to knowledge is sparse and not facilitated

• Stuck mindset: “It’s beyond my capacity to work outside of the dominant system”

• Positive note: Food businesses are discovering and supporting countless food waste strategies and initiatives… they are eager to share!

• Creative question: How might we create an online space that encourages and simplifies connection between all kinds of food players so that knowledge can be shared and action against food waste can be tackled as a community?

STAFF ENGAGEMENT

• Pain point: Employers - Labour shortages, quick turnover and unengaged staff

• Paint point: Employee - “If I give an idea it means more work for me, and no extra money”

• Goal: Engage staff and owners to shift to more circular practices. Maybe through Non-hierarchical, Non-competitive incentives.

• Creative question: How might we enable staff to be a part of growing circularity in the workplace so that livelihoods are supported while shifting to a circular food system?

Last call prototype feedback loop

LAST CALL

• Pain point: Obtaining access to space for food rescuers is challenging

• Stuck mindset: “Damaged or ripened food is no longer edible or sellable”

• Positive note: Consumers respond positively to initiatives taken by their local food businesses. They are willing to participate in the change.

• Creative question: How might we re-purpose food at the end of day in stores so that we create a market that:

  • reaches different customers

  • celebrates cultural diversity

  • stimulates community connection

CO-CREATING COLLABORATIVE RESPONSIBILITY

• Pain point: Businesses feel a lack of support and feel left alone in creating solutions around managing food waste; meanwhile, managing food waste is not incentivized, expected, or required.

• Pattern: Government, businesses and industry associations are placing responsibility and accountability to find solutions to food waste on one another, wherein working towards shared goals is sparse or scattered.

• Goal: Foster the co-creation of regulatory standards that can be applied to industry across the board to level the playing field for different businesses.

• Creative question: How might we co-imagine and co-create policy and/or regulatory interventions to grow a sense of shared responsibility and accountability between businesses, industry associations, and government partners so that we can enact goals around preventing food waste and directing food where it is most needed?

MEASURE WHAT MATTERS

• Pain point: Food is wasted for all kinds of reasons, and everyone loses (money, food security, greenhouse gas emissions…).

• Stuck mindset: We don’t care enough about wasted food to measure it and understand the magnitude of the problem.

• Goal: Collectively commit to measuring what matters and understanding the magnitude of the problem so that we can make better decisions.

• Creative question: How might we utilize existing measurement frameworks and platforms for measuring wasted food so that we can share this information with each other, collectively share efforts and responsibilities, and make more impactful decisions in the sector-wide reduction of wasted food?

Reframe prototype feedbackloop

REFRAME

• Pain point: Consumers have a standard of food they expect in the store ; Grocers rely on a reputation of freshness

• Stuck mindset: Challenging the notion that good looking food is healthier, better – food as a gift, not a commodity.

• Goal: To incentivize “seconds” food purchases as a positive choice

• Creative question: How might we reframe the value of all foods through transparency to consumers regarding the journey of food, how much energy went into its production, and how important it is to treat it all the same?

CIRCULAR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• Pain point: Infrastructure and resources for circular food entrepreneurs are hard to access and afford, and these individuals are running largely on passion

• Insight: Circularity is happening successfully in small niches in Vancouver

• Goal: To support new and existing entrepreneurs in the circular food economy

• Creative question: How might we create new, support and/or scale existing enterprises or opportunities from wasted or latent assets and resources within the food system so that we can foster a culture of circular and equitable entrepreneurship in Vancouver?

LEARNING JOURNEY

• Pain point: Most of our work has taken place online, and it’s difficult to feel connected to the lab question and each other

• Observation: Many people joined this lab to share and learn about promising practices

• Positive note: There is some excitement about field trips based on other concepts being tested

• Creative question: How might we leverage field trips and outings to learn about our food system and circularity in our region so that the lab experience centers business participants as learners and co-creators of solutions and we find new sources of inspiration to shape future choices and practices?

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