From weeds to superfood - mindset change

An "industrial" agriculture is one of the TOP global CO2 contributors, as well as chemical polluters and intruders of ecosystems. We have technology and knowledge that allow us to move from over-dependence on these ill practices towards to more regenerative agriculture aligned with ecosystems. There are already initiatives of various stakeholders around the world to move humankind more towards a plant rich diet.I believe that this is right, but we can enhance this movement one step higher. 

In my point of view, our diet should not be based only on few promoted and in the developed countries even subsidized cash crops, fruits and vegetables, but it should include resilient and already naturally present plants and flowers – so called weeds. Some of the weeds are actually by all standards what we call super foods. They are full of proteins, minerals, vitamins, acids which are good for our health. 

Devastation of ecosystems around the world by the industrial agriculture and forestry (land-change) in connection with unhealthy and unsustainable diet in most of the developed countries.

Globally, the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions are electricity and heat (31%), agriculture (11%), transportation (15%), forestry (6%) and manufacturing (12%). Energy production of all types accounts for 72 percent of all emissions. SOURCE Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (World Resources Institute, 2017).

With regard to fertilizers and pesticides, the agriculture is the leading source of impairments in the rivers and lakes. About a half million tons of pesticides, 12 million tons of nitrogen, and 4 million tons of phosphorus fertilizer are applied annually to crops in the continental United States. SOURCE U.S. Geological Survey

On top of that almost 9.5 billion animals are raised for food each year in the United States. In 2012 livestock and poultry grown in the largest CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) in the United States produced 369 million tons of manure, or almost 13 times the waste of the entire U.S. population, according to an analysis of USDA figures done by Food & Water Watch.

The partial solution of the problem can be a plant rich diet, but not the diet that relies heavily just on “standard” and global array of cash fruits, vegetables and protein rich crops that we buy daily in the grocery stores. The proposed solution is to go back in time and be (also) foragers again, but with a slight twist. The twist is a usage of a modern technology and knowledge of flora. Hence, we should become modern foragers. And what should we harvest and eat more? WEEDS. Some of the common and resilient plants that we weed out today with the chemicals and ploughing from our fields and gardens are actually true super-foods. Out of many, I will mention very common weeds in Europe: Vetch (Vicia sativa), Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Goosefoot (Chenopodium album) Chickweed (Stellaria media),Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) There is plenty of other weeds, which are continents and regions specific, and can be added to the diet and processed in many ways respecting also a seasonal availability. The technology makes it for us easy to become educated foragers. Anyone with mobile can use Apps that identify correctly the majority of plants on the spot.

The meat rich diet is more dominant in the richer populations, therefore going to the plant based diet and introducing also weeds into the diet would have greater effect on ecosystems in the developed countries, but of course it is beneficial also for the poorer countries and their inhabitants, who for instance overuse ploughing and chemical weeding out, instead of eating the resilient plants growing around them that are great sources of vitamins, mineral, various acids and proteins.

I believe that if we want to introduce more regenerative agriculture and protect biodiverse ecosystems we need to on a large scale give people also more alternatives on what they can eat and how they obtain the food (instead of relying solely on shopping or growing just standard variety of crops, vegetables and fruits). My solution provides such alternative if the critical mass of people is educated about what grows around them and understands how this diet is beneficial for their health. This should be also widely supported in official way by governmental institutions and public organizations.

Studying books like One straw revolution and also having mother pharmacist who knows also herbs having own garden and nature in walking distance led me to the realization that I do nto need so much buy in plastic package a “fresh” spinach treated with chlorine and other chemicals and at the same time spend the time weeding out the goosefoot from my garden. And there are many other reasons why I do this, eg healing my self from stomach problems that no pills helped me with and so on. So, there is no particular reason why I am in this stage. I know foraging works for my family, and I am sure it would work for others. But make this idea work for other takes effort -and resources if taken seriously, and I cannot invest more than my free time not knowing I can make living out of the effort.

The solution is innovative in new approach on how people can improve their diet and also their health without harming the environment. On the contrary they can even help the environment with ecological weeding out very resilient species of plants.

The solution is also innovative in a way of technology use. People can use their mobile phones with Apps to identify eatable plants correctly on the spot while they are outdoors and also learn about their benefits, which parts of the plants can be eaten and in what way the plants or their parts can be prepared. For instance if they use the App called Flora Incognita

The solution is scalable from mere occasional walks outside and picking up some plants by the chance, through ecological weeding out the lawns and gardens by picking up the weeds for consumption without use of chemicals, up to using this solution as a part of regenerative farming and sale of the weeded out plants or products made out of these plants.

The solution serves now to my wider family, means +20 people, in one year I plan to speak about the solution also with my friends and acquaintances on various leisure time occasions, means +200 people. Also if a community around me finds the idea interesting and worth to pursue further, I plan to provide outdoor workshops and courses with this solution, and promote the solution on the company web page and social media. Other commercial activities would require an external help.

The measurement of online visitors will be done with standard web and social media traffic analytic tools.

My-self (I own a limited liability company based in Slovakia and various consultants / experts from fields of pharmacy and agriculture who are my family or friends

Well positioned in purchase and or lease of land suitable for running this project. Well positioned in cooperating with experts in pharmacy field and agriculture to help me to build a showcase that it can be done (and should be done). 

I do care about building a diverse, equitable and inclusive team at all levels and for all projects my company has worked on and will work in the future – it is an integral part of my business DNA, with the proven record through out my professional career.

I believe the idea is good and worth to spread out, and for this, the institutions like MIT Solve have much higher visibility, credibility then small company like mine. Also, it would be a great honor and also reference to become a Solver Team and anter the innovation ecosystem of MIT.

• Business model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development) 

• Financial funding - etting the harvested and processed plants to people who do not feel confident on practicing the solution by them selves or do not have enough time to do so, my company is prepared to purchase or lease the land to practice regenerative farming (maintaining meadows) and hire or contract the modern foragers. But the company would need the external capital for the following items (est.):

- getting all the approvals of the state agencies $ 100 000

- refurbishing some shop floor for food processing $ 100-250 000

- installing processing and packing line $ 100-200 000

- marketing activities to find sufficient number of customers $ 100- 150 000

• Legal or Regulatory Matters - - getting all the approvals of the state agencies

• Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media) 

• Product Distribution (e.g. expanding client base)

I think it is important to get public, governmental and international organizations awareness and approval to develop this solution on large scale. Also it is good to make this diet accessible to people who cannot for various reasons practice this solution, but would like to try the diet updated for these kind of plants.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize I believe the solution can very well applied for example in the refugees camps or later on the refugees can use this knowledge for their and society benefit (their inclusion into the society). If requested I could do some worshops or courses with some refugee organizations.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize I believe the solution can very well applied for example in the refugees camps or later on the refugees can use this knowledge for their and society benefit (their inclusion into the society). If requested I could do some worshops or courses with some refugee organizations.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize, because my solution at larger commercial scale creates a new job opportunities to be employed like modern foragers, and these are equal opportunity jobs.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize, because my solution at larger scale can reduce human over dependence on the meat rich diet including fishes and in the indirect way reduce the demand for fishes.

Yes, AI can play a role in correct identification of the plants and mitigating the risks mentioned in the risks section of the solution