Feeding the future

BY NOW we have all heard the challenge: the world's population is set to reach more than 9 billion people by 2050, how will we feed this growing population? The status quo surely won't cut it.

Our current food production, distribution and consumption practices are inefficient and wasteful. They are ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of today, let alone the future.

We urgently need new solutions to ensure that everyone in the world has access to adequate, safe and nutritious food, and we don't have time to wait for traditional institutions to provide the answers.

Luckily, we already have a valuable resource with the power to deliver paradigm-shifting impact: the next generation.

Millennials are the largest, most-diverse, globally connected generation the world has ever seen. Their influence can already be felt in every aspect of society - from business to education, from media to politics - and this will only get stronger as they move into leadership positions. By 2025, they will make up 75 per cent of the global workforce.

This generation of digital natives possesses a unique mindset and skill set that gives them unprecedented power and influence. As the first generation to grow up immersed in the digital world, they have experience in adopting, adapting to and expecting leaps in progress.

Many of the capabilities that we desperately need to tackle our most complex global challenges, such as food and nutrition security, come naturally to this open-minded, hyper-connected and passion-driven demographic.

Hard-wired for the future

Millennials choose to focus their energy on the relationships and connections that reflect their values. Thus, the organisations that will lead in the rapidly changing world these young people are shaping must incorporate "next generation innovation" into their strategies.

They must attempt to understand the mindset, skills and tools that the next generation inherently represent, and adopt more collaborative and inclusive approaches to successfully tackle strategic issues and challenges.

"VUCA" is the acronym used to describe the current state of business. We live in a world that is more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous than ever before. Looking to the future, it is likely this state will only intensify.

In this new state of constant change and uncertainty, all of the rules have fundamentally changed for organisations that want to survive and thrive.

Age, size, reputation and even current sales do not guarantee that a company will be around in a decade. And unfortunately, many entrenched incumbents are still trying to play a new game by the old rules.

This new age of VUCA calls for different solutions to future-proofing existing businesses, building new ones, improving rates of success and solving the challenges that lie ahead.

In this context, talented young people may hold the answers we need for a better, more sustainable food system. They're curious, connected, experimental and unafraid to challenge the status quo.

They're familiar with and skilled in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, and can leverage the latest advances in genetics, robotics, big data and more.

They are driven by impact and purpose. And, as the tools of innovation become increasingly democratised, they have an unprecedented ability to affect change from the bottom up. But are they truly motivated to take on such a massive challenge and such a well-established industry?

The answer is yes.

The way that the next generation creates tangible impact and lasting change is not just through technology. They are also disrupting the agricultural sector by bringing forward their values, mindsets and approaches.

The beautiful thing is that every single person can tap into the massive opportunity that "next generation innovation" represents - whether you're a seasoned corporate leader with a few grey hairs or a wide-eyed millennial, zipping up your hoodie to head off to your startup.

Five core attitudes of next generation innovation

Next generation innovation means adopting a more collaborative attitude, embracing an open, curious and entrepreneurial outlook, and creating space for experimentation. It also means considering ideas and influences from outside of your usual frame of reference and combining them in new, sometimes unexpected ways:

1 Openness

The first essential attitude is a natural willingness to be open - and to embrace diversity and interdisciplinarity. This is because having an open mind and engaging with a wide variety of people, topics, ideas and industries creates fertile ground for innovation.

The winners of the future will be those with access to new and unexpected forms of insights and uncommon partnerships.

Next generation innovation is about being open to collecting insights from anyone, anywhere, on any topic - and finding ways to constantly connect these seemingly unexpected dots to create new ideas and breakthroughs.

2 Collaboration

Clayton Christensen, innovation guru and author of the pivotal book The Innovator's Dilemma points out that disruptive or transformative innovation rarely comes from the status quo. Established industry players are rarely structured or prepared to counter disruption when it eventually appears.

In order to create innovative solutions, firms now, more than ever, need to be open to collaborate - even with those who threaten their business.

Looking for uncommon collaborative opportunities is now becoming even more critical to break down barriers, reveal unexpected value and avoid stagnation.

3 Beginner's mindset

Next-gen innovators have a youthful naivete and intrinsic curiosity that allows them to adopt an un-jaded, fresh approach to problems, free of preconceived notions. Instead of forming opinions or dialling back an idea due to entrenched ways of thinking or doing things, they tend to embrace first principles and ask lots of questions: Why? What if? What would it take?

This inquisitive approach is certainly refreshing, but it is also really important. Because history has shown that the best inventions and solutions rarely come from domain experts - they almost always come from outsiders who aren't afraid to ask the "dumb questions".

4 Entrepreneurial methods

Adopting entrepreneurial methods means being comfortable with trying something even if only for the sake of learning, and embracing possible failure. In today's world, it's never been cheaper or easier to take a risk in pursuit of a breakthrough. The DIY/maker movement is a great example of this. Hobbyists and non-experts are converging in basements, garages and makeshift labs to tinker and create new technologies and solutions without expensive equipment of formal education.

And because this DIY community has a strong "pay it forward" ethos, they often open-source their discoveries, leanings and intellectual property. Moreover, they tap into non-traditional funding sources such as crowdfunding, incentive prize competitions or teaming up with local accelerators. It used to be that innovation was limited to the confines of universities or large corporations. Now, the ability to learn, understand, create and innovate is accessible to anyone with a curious mind.

5 Purpose before pay cheque

Research shows that the next generation is highly purpose-driven, and that millennials are primarily motivated by meaningful work and the ability to make an impact over higher pay. It used to be that a person wanted a job for benefits and financial security. But, for many members of the next generation, the chance to make a difference and live true to their values is such a powerful intrinsic motivator that they're willing to choose a different - and often even harder - path. We are living in an era where corporate social responsibility has got to be business as usual.

As discussed earlier, navigating and leveraging the complexities of today's and tomorrow's challenges require a combination of new mindset and new skill set.

Happily, there's an effective alternative to organisation-wide culture and behaviour-change programmes: you can more closely align and engage with next generation innovators, who come naturally hardwired with the attitudes required to create transformational change.

Based on the experience we have gained from building one of the world's most powerful next generation innovation platforms, we help make practical suggestions for how large organisations can leverage this approach to achieve impact and growth in food and agriculture. Archimedes once said: "Give me a lever long enough and I will move the world."

Organisations have never had a bigger lever than the next generation of innovators. It's up to us whether we want to use it to influence change or if we're simply going to wait and let change happen to us.