Greenhero
#15 – Leapfrogging Africa into plant-based eating w/ Founder & CEO of Infinite Foods Michelle Adelman
Today on the Greenhero Podcast, Rikard is chatting with Michelle Adelman, co-founder and CEO of Infinite Foods. She has 30 years of business experience as a former Global Managing Director for Accenture, CEO of a US-based home health services company, and Group Strategy Executive for the pan-African Econet Group. In 2017, Michelle was named by CEO Global as Africa’s Most Influential Woman – Business & Professional Services and in 2019, Michelle was named to the Forbes Africa “20 New Wealth Creators” list.
While working at Accenture, Michelle visited Africa, where she spoke with local members of the community she was visiting. There, she began to visit orphanages and schools and saw the impact people could have on the children’s lives. The work she did through The Impact Fund and her business experience brought jobs to women and children in southern Africa.
The work she does now surrounds agriculture and food systems, spawned from the idea of breaking into new areas of income for the area. In Botswana, a mostly desert country, she disrupted the food chain and brought hydroponics to the consumers. It’s a local-to-local business model where they grow locally for local consumption. Michelle’s work around plant-based products is centered on the productivity of agricultural land and its beneficiaries.
In Africa, it’s not so much about overconsumption of meat and dairy products, it’s about getting quality, affordable protein to people. Plant-based products can change the food system in Africa and allows small farmers to increase their economic impact. By leapfrogging industrialized production, they are able to build a sustainable system.
The first step to changing the food system is changing people’s thinking about plant-based food. If we're going to convince people that as they start consuming more meat and dairy, and more protein, they should be doing it from plant-based sources, rather than animal-based sources, we have to interrupt their thinking about what this kind of food is all about. The second step is scalability–looking at local brands and incubating them, as well as introducing international, recognizable brands to the market.
Meat is indeed a central part of African culture. And it’s important, Michelle reminds us, to not undo that culture. Nobody is passing judgment when they eat meat, especially at celebrations. But when they aren’t, what are the plant-based alternatives?
Growth of this market is certainly centered in the US, Michelle says, but it’s important that we understand it’s still a tiny fraction of the market, and even in rural US towns, plant-based foods aren’t an option. In Africa, they are promoting primarily the health benefits of plant-based eating, as the climate impact and changes to combat it is still being adopted.
Things you’ll learn
There have been major strides in changing the food system in Africa through protein found in plant-based foods.
It’s important to consider the grassroots growth of local plant-based businesses and incubate them as they enter the market.
Introducing recognizable brands to the market helps scale the overall impact of plant-based foods.
LINKS
https://www.infinitefoods.com/
Today on the Greenhero Podcast, Rikard is chatting with Michelle Adelman, co-founder and CEO of Infinite Foods. She has 30 years of business experience as a former Global Managing Director for Accenture, CEO of a US-based home health services company, and Group Strategy Executive for the pan-African Econet Group. In 2017, Michelle was named by CEO Global as Africa’s Most Influential Woman – Business & Professional Services and in 2019, Michelle was named to the Forbes Africa “20 New Wealth Creators” list.
While working at Accenture, Michelle visited Africa, where she spoke with local members of the community she was visiting. There, she began to visit orphanages and schools and saw the impact people could have on the children’s lives. The work she did through The Impact Fund and her business experience brought jobs to women and children in southern Africa.
The work she does now surrounds agriculture and food systems, spawned from the idea of breaking into new areas of income for the area. In Botswana, a mostly desert country, she disrupted the food chain and brought hydroponics to the consumers. It’s a local-to-local business model where they grow locally for local consumption. Michelle’s work around plant-based products is centered on the productivity of agricultural land and its beneficiaries.
In Africa, it’s not so much about overconsumption of meat and dairy products, it’s about getting quality, affordable protein to people. Plant-based products can change the food system in Africa and allows small farmers to increase their economic impact. By leapfrogging industrialized production, they are able to build a sustainable system.
The first step to changing the food system is changing people’s thinking about plant-based food. If we're going to convince people that as they start consuming more meat and dairy, and more protein, they should be doing it from plant-based sources, rather than animal-based sources, we have to interrupt their thinking about what this kind of food is all about. The second step is scalability–looking at local brands and incubating them, as well as introducing international, recognizable brands to the market.
Meat is indeed a central part of African culture. And it’s important, Michelle reminds us, to not undo that culture. Nobody is passing judgment when they eat meat, especially at celebrations. But when they aren’t, what are the plant-based alternatives?
Growth of this market is certainly centered in the US, Michelle says, but it’s important that we understand it’s still a tiny fraction of the market, and even in rural US towns, plant-based foods aren’t an option. In Africa, they are promoting primarily the health benefits of plant-based eating, as the climate impact and changes to combat it is still being adopted.
Things you’ll learn
There have been major strides in changing the food system in Africa through protein found in plant-based foods.
It’s important to consider the grassroots growth of local plant-based businesses and incubate them as they enter the market.
Introducing recognizable brands to the market helps scale the overall impact of plant-based foods.
LINKS
https://www.infinitefoods.com/