Funded project – Accelerating new circular business models to reduce food waste in Victoria
The project focused on delivering an accelerator program for 15 businesses and start-ups to create successful and sustainable new models that tackle food waste and kick-start a circular economy in Victoria’s food industry.
Background
Rocket Seeder brings together a team of experienced facilitators, coaches, and mentors from the food, agriculture, agribusiness, and agtech sectors. Their diverse skill set includes expertise in Go-To-Market strategy, business and strategy planning, governance, finance, marketing, consumer behaviour, retail, food service, and communications.
The completed project delivered a business accelerator program that provided business coaching and development support to accelerate the commercialisation of 15 new circular economy business models that demonstrated circularity and reductions in food loss and waste in Victoria. It provided support to develop new circular business models that delivered economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Process
The primary objectives of the Food Waste + Loss accelerator program were achieved, including completing the 14-week program, supporting 15 businesses, and laying the foundations for circular economies in Victoria. A panel of industry experts selected the participants.
A showcase event was held on 7 April 2022, at Melbourne Connect where all of the program participants presented their food waste solutions to key stakeholders and potential investors. The panel selected 4 of the businesses to pitch their solutions and won cash prizes.
The judging panel consisted of Emma Coath (Rocket Seeder), Phoebe Dowling (Head of Sustainability, Simplot Australia), Alicia Darvall (Director Regions & Partnerships, Sustainability Victoria), Arianna Sippell, (Senior Manager, growAG, AgriFutures) and Jo Price (Quality Manager, Langton Foods). After deliberation, the judging panel awarded the following participants:
- First place: Nick Stamatiou from Whole ($10,000 cash prize)
- Second place (joint): Natalie Sarau from ForkFul and Sivam Krish from GoMicro ($7,500 cash prize each)
- Third place: Elke Travers and Natalie Kalinova from Seaweedery ($7,500 cash prize)
The program also included virtual pitch practice, introductions to industry professionals, and one-on-one coaching. The cohort later presented their solutions at a Virtual Demo event on 20 April 2022. The program provided valuable opportunities for networking, coaching, and learning. One of the highlights for the cohort was having the opportunity to practice their pitches (virtually) in front of a range of experienced food industry professionals over the duration of the program.
Another valuable part of the program for the participants was the various introductions made to people in the food innovation ecosystem that they otherwise would not have access to. The businesses also received around 30 hours of one-on-one coaching each and more than 50 hours of group content delivered live on Zoom.
Challenges
The main challenge of working with early-stage businesses, especially over a limited time-frame (4 months in this case), is that it is often too early to demonstrate their impact. Quantifying the amount of food waste or loss avoided in Victoria by a number of these businesses will not become evident until they find customers for their solutions.
Although the program finished in April, the Rocket Seeder team continues to work with many of the program participants to ensure that they are connecting with the right people and organisations in Victoria. Following the program, Toni Cody (Rocket Seeder's Chair) was invited to Chair the Forkful's new Advisory Board. The Rocket Seeder team is also working with other program participants to help them set up their own advisory boards.
Insights
The key lessons learnt from delivering Rocket Seeder's inaugural Food Waste + Loss accelerator program include:
- Australia and Victoria need to intensify efforts to reduce food waste by 2030.
- There is a strong interest from various organisations to tackle food waste, but many lack guidance on where to start.
- Solutions for food waste and loss are diverse, as demonstrated by the range of approaches within the cohort.
- Most businesses addressing food waste are not from the food or agricultural sector, indicating the need for more sector-specific expertise in future programs. Additionally, developing a circular mindset in the food and agriculture sector requires collaboration among various organizations, including food rescue groups, consultants, universities, and Rocket Seeder.
Testimonials from program participants
“A massive thank you to Sustainability Victoria and Rocket Seeder for making this happen, you are really accelerating the reduction of food waste. Victoria is the innovation hub of Australia,” says Michelle Tan from Soyful.
“This program has been amazing. The resources and connections would not have been achieved without being in Rocket Seeder Food Waste & Loss Program. I am extremely grateful for being in this program," says Esther Vallego from WoWder.
“I would like to thank Sustainability Victoria and the program partners for making this program available.”
The participants receiving mentorship from the Rocket Seeder program. Learn more
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