Food Revolution 5.0 - Exhibition in Winterthur
A few years ago, I started to learn about the impact that we have on the environment and I read a lot about our contribution to climate changes, depletion of natural resources, pollution, deforestation, waste and other relevant topics.
I know I can't change the world, but I CAN change the way I LIVE and I can have a direct impact on the reduction of my personal negative footprint that I have on the environment.
This is the reason why I'm always excited to visit exhibitions showing new perspectives, alternative ways of living and future technologies that can help us to have more positive impact on the environment.
A couple of weeks ago I visited Gewerbemuseum in Winterthur because of their exhibition called Food Revolution 5.0.
The Food Revolution 5.0 includes more than 50 international research projects and focuses on our future food. How will we eat in the future? How can we feed our growing population? How will we satisfy our essential nutrition? You can find some interesting answers to these questions there.
The exhibition is interactive, and you can watch various short movies, try different processes or test some products. It is divided in three rooms and each room is dedicated to one topic.
In the first room you will learn about negative impacts of factory farming and you will get to see some alternative ways of growing food. The second room shows the controversial impact of production in the country where the product is made and the country where the product is sold to the end customer. The third room focuses on the food waste and what it means for the environment.
The exhibition is so interesting that you can easily spend several hours there.
I like that visitors spent some time understanding the topics instead of just quickly walking from one project to another...
Some topics required a lot of focus and thinking to fully understand them😊
There were two processes that I've found very interesting and I can imagine them being fully implemented and one project that I still can't properly place.
Let me introduce you to these three projects:
First project is using urine as a natural fertilizer to grow crops. Urine would replace commercial fertilizers which would reduce the production costs as well. I must say it seemed to be working as those crops looked healthy (I just don't know why they had just a few of them 😊).
I think that this process might already be used by some small farmers but this project was about applying it to grow crops on the bigger farms as well.
The second project suggests using baby diapers as fertilizer for fruit trees and plants.
DYCLE is a fundamentally new way of how baby diapers are to be produced, used and recycled, or rather upcycled, when they are no longer a waste but a nutrient for plants, transformed into fertile soil.source
The diapers impact is 12 tons of CO2 emissions per child which is obviously not sustainable. Dycle suggests that using compostable diapers is the solution for this issue. The diaper waste is converted into black soil which is used as fertilizer. DYCLE estimates that 1000 kg of soil can be produced from one year’s supply of diapers from a single child.
This is a very exciting project! You can learn more about this project here.
The third project is called Near future symbiosis suit. The main question that they ask is why do we design new food when we could re-design how we fuel our bodies altogether?
They design a symbiotic relationship between humans and algae. What does that mean? They see a future where human bodies will be enhanced with algae living inside organs. This will allow us to gain food from light by being semi-photosynthetic. They propose that the human and algae will depend on each other survival and that the relationship will be mutually beneficial.
They created a prototype but to be honest I can't imagine anyone agreeing to look like this. But I might be wrong as I don't know what the future will bring us 😊
There were also some controversial topics discussed in various sections of the exhibition.
Every choice in food we make has an impact on others, positive or negative.
Whatever is in trend, is bound to become a target for large corporations to exploit resources. There were many examples of this issue but two of them were particularly interesting to me.
We all love chocolate, don't we? And we know that cocoa is the main ingredient to make chocolate. But I didn't know that large volumes of cocoa are grown in Ghana. To maximize profits from the production, the corporations are forcing young children to work in this cocoa business.
These children work long hours because they have no choice. Injuries and deaths are not uncommon there and all this is happening so that we can enjoy our chocolate anytime we want.
This is the message that was presented there and I am of course not saying that we should not indulge in chocolate anymore but I realized that we should start making conscious choices if we don't do so yet.
And what about avocados? Almost everyone loves them and they became very popular around the world. They actually became so popular that the market attracts criminals who are not afraid to use violence, extortion or manipulation at the cost of local population.
While advertising companies make us feel good, healthy, sweet and romantic by buying foods they promote, we often don't realize that behind all the glitter and glamour, there's a dark side to many food choices that we make every day.
I truly believe that it is important to get the information to enable us making the right choices not only for ourselves and others but for the environment as well.
It was not easy to read all the material and admit that I might have to change my habits but on the other hand it's important to accept it as it's the first step towards any improvement. At the end of the day we are all 'work in progress'.
After so many impressions and thinking we went to Grand Café in the museum to discuss our opinions on different topics and to enjoy a well deserved cup of tea 😊
Thank you for reading,
Cheers,
Martina
Howdy delishtreats! wow what an eye-opener that joint is! How long did you spend there? I assume they have a website where you can study these topics further? I was so shocked and disappointed to hear about the child slavery and cocoa connection, dang! That sucks. How do we know where the cocoa in the chocolate we're buying comes from?
Anyway, great job on this post, it's very enlightening and informational!
Almost half a day :) They don't.. you need to google separate projects and see if they have their official websites.. I've checked and most of them do..but well, there were more than 50 projects and I couldn't watch a few of them I must say..
I would say that you should focus on fair trade products. You will probably pay a little more but you will feel better or at least I do :)
Thank you for stopping by! Hope you're doing well :)
Howdy delishtreats! wow you wrote that comment 17 hours ago! I've been off and on off and on off and on all day! lol. I remember reading about the Fair Trade practices products, when it comes to chocolate that's the way to go even if it's more cost, who cares about a little increase in price when something so important is at stake? I want to make it profitable for them. I had forgotten about Fair Trade so thank you for reminding me!
You should be faster cowboy! Do you think that I'm here to wait for you? LOL! Oh boy, it doesn't matter when you get back to me. I'm not the best and fastest in replying myself :)
How can you forget about something like that? :) When you do your grocery shopping make sure to get Fair Trade only! :D
howdy again this beautiful Friday delishtreats! At least it is here, sun is shining bright, a typical crisp Texas winter day. Anyway, I think you are lightning fast most of the time unless you're off travelin or working on plans for your knew business or curie commenting.
I have only read about the Fair Trade group, I don't think I've ever seen products in a store marked Fair Trade. I assume that most stores I go to don't have them available. But I will look next time because I love the concept.
Well, this Friday probably was beautiful here as well but I didn't take an advantage of it as I'm still sick. I feel like a piece of sh1t and it's much worse than yesterday. I have such a strange headache and not even pills are helping. I'm trying now to cool it off and will see if it finally works.. not happy today...
We can buy here Fair Trade everywhere and there are plenty of products such as chocolate, coffee, cane sugar, etc - most of the products that are produced in the third world countries. I'm surprised that it's not usual there.. it looks like the US is quite behind in this regards..
I'm so sorry you are sick delishtreats, you sure are writing excellently for being sick, I would be out of it, you are quite remarkable. Do you know what the illness is? Mostly headache? I hate those things.
Yes the United States is behind in many things from what Europe is and even more so in some areas, it may be totally different in California for example. But I will look around next time in the store.
We rarely to to Whole Foods market but I'm sure there are many Fair Trade items there. I pray that you will recover quickly today!
I went to the dentist on Tuesday to clean my teeth. I usually have pain afterwards as my gums are sensitive. But this time I got some inflammation so my whole jaws hurts, from there it went to my throat which is soar now and today this headache appeared as well.
I can't eat, drink or sleep - pretty annoying..
When I do my shopping I focus on items produced fairly and they should also be organic so I only go to bio shops but I know that fair trade products can be found here everywhere. It's very common..
Thank you! I was supposed to attend the cube tomorrow again but will not able to go.. will have hubby explaining to everyone that I'm sick..
Interesting post. This exhibition leads back to the roots of farming. We have to leave the industrial agriculture. Urin of cows, for example, was used over generations as a natural fertilizer. And I remember that my parents swore by fertilizing with horse manure in the garden. So why not use baby diapers. We personally try to buy directly from the producer. Fortunately, we have some farm shops of organic farmers nearby.
I agree with you. I still remember times when we were fertilizing by manure and using natural remedies against different pests. There were no pesticides and all food tasted just differently.
That idea with baby diapers is amazing. Modern diapers use plastic and are harmful to the environment so to come with such a brilliant idea is very important. I hope that they will be successful :)
I also do shop locally and check for ingredients that are questionable in case I buy something from different parts of world (occasionally). I think it's important to do your purchasing mindfully as everything we do have impact somewhere else..
Thank you for stopping by and for your comment!
Very informative and thought provoking... I am not sure of a few of them but I do agree with you that it makes you think... And that is a good use of our brains (rather than watching tv) ;)
I am not sure I like the idea of feeding plants only pee, but I guess if I don't know any better then I will adjust... :P
There were many of them that I was not sure of. Even the peeing one :D But well.. as you said, if there is no other solution then I would just adjust :) and those crops really looked good! :)
It definitely makes you think. There were also some shocking numbers that I didn't really want to share here as these were very controversial :)
Thank you Dave! Have a great weekend!
Very interesting post! All products should be designed with the end in mind, like those baby diapers. We should take care of the environment we if want the environment to take care of us.
Exactly! I think that the issue is that lots of people still don't realize that. They take our privilege (choice) for granted and don't spend time looking at different questions such as - where was my product made and how? Do I really need it? What kind of impact it has on the environment? etc..
Those baby diapers are an amazing idea! One baby can produce so much waste that can be turned into something useful. How cool is that? :)
Thank you for your comment Dan!
I just had to resteem your post. Something this important really needs to be seen.
Using urine (and more) as a fertilizer is being used more and more around here. It is definitely less expensive and less harmful. Also works wonders. I haven't gotten around it yet as I am trying to convince myself that it's just not that gross. The time will come.
I think the part with the diapers is something that must happen. Actually I think that there should be no other diaper available except the compostable ones. We are made of this earth, let's respect it.
I did not know about the cocoa being harvested by children in that manner. How horrible! And to think that there are criminal acts with avocados! As if! I do enjoy the avocado's from time to time but I also try to respect more what is offered from the region that I live in. There should be enough here to sustain the people here. But people prefer to buy berries than to pick for themselves. Growing our own food would also have huge impacts in a positive way.
I could only hope for a museum like this to open in many places in the world. This is a wake up call to everyone.
I have to say that the only thing I disagree with is the algae. Tempering with the body and changing it this way is playing with fire. We are made this way for a reason. It should not be changed by mankind. Ever.
I was not aware about it as I currently live in the city and when I was planting some veggies at home I have never used any fertilizer and they were growing very well :) But I find it a great idea and I will make sure to spread it back home and will try to talk my uncle (farmer) in using it :)
I agree with you in regards to the diapers. It's a great idea to only sell the compostable ones but unfortunately the 'plastic' ones are produced by company having too much power in the world and I think it would be difficult to get them off the market..
I also didn't know about the cocoa production and issues with avocado. I eat avocados only occasionally but I know people who eat them every day. I will have to talk to them :)
They should definitely be such exhibition everywhere in the world. People just don't know what kind of impact they have on the environment and others (especially in developing countries). I am sure that if the information would be spread then there would be more people taking action. Even though the information is public and easily reached on internet people are just too lazy to look for it. They need to be confronted with the truth to do something..
This is an interesting opinion. I didn't think about it and to be honest I was not sure how to place this idea but I must agree with you. It does sound like interfering with something what should not be touched.
Thank you SO much for your valuable words and resteeming :)
The information is definitely on the internet but it doesn't always come to peoples minds as they live their everyday lives. Some people don't even know to search for it. One reason why I resteemed your post. Could be going through their feed and someone sees museum. Oh a museum is fun lets check it out. And then, OMG this is important stuff right here. :P
That's what I would like to imagine anyways. People are more stuck to see memes and dumb yet funny videos of people wiping out or people fighting at work and all that crap. Then they watch the news about Trump and politics and war and such but these things that they want us to think is an itty bitty problem is actually a huge problem that never really reaches the news as urgently as it needs to be. All we can do is inform the people. Talk and spread the word. Help them open their eyes and their minds to what is actually happening, just as you did here. I really do think that you wrote a really great post here. I would share it a gazillion times if I could.
Thank you for such a detailed description of this exhibit. I think it is sad that few people think about the impact of what they eat. The fact that food often has a dark side is also true of many other products. What is sad is that if we start boycotting products, such as chocolate, it can actually hurt the poor people who are being exploited. The real solution is to ensure that companies are far more responsible and that governments are immune to corruption (not an easy task in either case).
Proud member of #powerhousecreatives
It is indeed sad that we live in such society that doesn't pay attention to what is happening somewhere else in the world. It's crazy to see the overweight percentage in the US compared to hunger percentage in Africa. We are slowly killing our bodies without even realizing it..
I would love to see that companies are far more responsible but how do you ensure that? I think that such production lines are in the parts of the world that are not that 'visible' so that they can do whatever they want without being seen and bothered. I think it's important to talk about these issues to make people think about their choices.. I can imagine that boycotting would hurt these people even more as they would even lose the little income that they get...
Sometimes I think that we really live in a mad world (that we created ourselves)
I'm surprised a diet of insects was not mentioned! Interesting stuff, i personally no longer totally agree with the premise of c02 emissions as the main culprit of global warming but there is no doubt the other effects you mention cause serious damage.
It would be nice to see us move closer to an Agrarian society, we all vote with our wallets. Seeing the diaper soil has eased my hunger during this juice fast. Great post, thanks for sharing
Actually, it was mentioned. There were many more and a few of them were quite gross such as growing your mushrooms with your spit and so on.. I didn't want to mention everything as it would be a very long post :)
There are so many effects that cause damage to the environment and to be honest I am not sure which one has the biggest impact right now..
Are you fasting? How do you feel? I've never tried juice fast as I was afraid of fatigue and mood changes..
Thank you for stopping by Jeremy!
Some of the ideas seem great, others not so much, perhaps even a little dystopian!
I wouldn't call it a proper juice fast, I've been juicing intermittently over the past couple weeks but today I have only had one solid meal. I plan to juice fast for at least 3 days. I feel fine, plenty of energy but I am still mentally adjusting to the lack of solids!
Great post! Some time ago, we stop buying products with palm oil, and I have to admit, that today we spent about 15 min looking for cookies which don't contain it. Even instant noodles have it!
We're working on our food habits, and yes, we knew about cocoa from Ghana, but had no idea that kids are working there :/
Have you seen this video?
This is the reason why I started to make my own stuff. 90% of what I eat I make from scratch. I know that for many people it's not possible due to various reasons but it works for me. I was getting frustrated with seeing that everything what I actually liked had palm oil in it. So eventually I had to change the way I buy.
I haven't seen this video before.. it's so true.. but we don't realize this is happening as nobody is showing us. We just go to the shop and get what we like.. what is wrong about it? This is why I always say that it is important to spread the information. As long as you have the information you can make the decision for yourself. I'm not saying that everyone will make a good one but everyone will make an informed one..
Thank you for stopping by!
Omg that video! I have no words... fuuuuuu*k...........
Yep, that's why we're telling everyone around about palm oil and consequences of buying products which contain it.
I found out about palm oil last year. I am now more on the lookout. It is so devastating :(
Great post Martina; this is all very interesting. I would love to take a closer look at all of them.
I realized that I had dream about designing a kitchen with my son in law with an indoor veggie garden. Also, my grandmother used to use my sister's poop when she was little as a fertilizer, lol. However, the veganic gardening is the most ideal and Dr.Cousens is one of the best examples of how successful it can be.
I also knew about the chocolate, same problem is with coffee and that's why is important to buy fare trade. And I just found out about avocados from my daughter recently and there is issue with quinoa as well. Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world; very far from it. However, the vegan movement will lead us closer to the ideal every day, we just have to be patient and do the best we can under the circumstances.
What really bothers me is that if something become popular then these people appear out of nowhere and invade the market. It's so unfair as these foods are healthy and you want to eat them to have balanced vegan diet but your mind doesn't let you buy them because you can't stand the cruelty that goes with it. I didn't know about quinoa.. will have to google it and see the impact so that I can decide if I have to swap it for something else :)
You grandmother was a clever lady! If you think about it, it does make sense. Baby eat only mother milk which is so healthy so their poop must be a great fertilizer :)
What holds you back from making that kitchen with the veggie garden?
I've checked your last posts to see some details about your surgery. How come that you got such issue? Did you have an accident or so?
Have a lovely start of the week my dear!
As I said Sweetie, we do not live in the perfect world and we ca't change that just by not eating something. There is so many things that we still consume that are not really vegan, but is impossible to avoid unless you move off the grid and make everything form scratch. However, I would really suggest you to check the TREE OF LIFE if you are interested living truly pure life.
Anyway, my grandmother was sort of a homestead type, in the middle of the city, lol. But she was from a village so that's why.
Oh and what is stopping me to build indoor garden? Well right now, enough space, but when my daughter and son in law buy a house, then it will be possible.
Regarding my surgery, carpal tunnel syndrome is prey common issue these days, lots of people have it. The surgery very very quick, I was able to go home right after, but the recovery is little bit lengthy.
Have a lovely week to me Dear Martina 💖😊💖
Very interesting. Since this is on Steemit... there are some blockchain projects to track the origin of foods. These type of projects can help us make informed choices on the food we buy. Also I think the whole localvore movement is great in this regard. Knowing where what we are eating was grown is great for so many reasons.
Are there? Would you be able to give me more info on this? I would love to take part in these projects :)
I agree with you in regards to getting local food but I'm afraid that it's not possible for everyone... but knowing where the food was grown is very important as you said! :)