Tonye Khama: Principles for redesigning a food system that is fair for all, for the long term

In the fourth episode of this series, I speak with Tonye Khama. A lawyer by background, he felt compelled to embrace his dual British and Nigerian identity, alongside his analytical skills, to found Agricultural technology company EnrichGeo. 

Tonye is on a mission to drive food security for all. 

This means:

• On the one hand farmers can grow food in a more sustainable way, at a fair price, with the least waste possible
• On the other hand, no one suffers from food poverty, no matter where they are in the world. 

His technology is based on principles of circular economy, connecting dots in unusual places, in order to address the big question of how we feed a growing population, when the current food system is no longer fit for purpose. 

Today’s episode highlights why it is so important to really lean in to listen deeply, both inside ourselves and to the world around us, and how having integrity is key to achieving results. 

 

I wanted to take a bit of time to explain a few concepts we explored in this episode: 

Circular Economy is a model of production and consumption which involves sharing, reusing or repurposing materials and products as long as possible. So rather than extract raw materials from the ground each time, and then sending them to landfill at the end of their lives, one can design systems that enable these products to have another life in the system. This reduces the extraction of raw materials and reduces the waste sent to landfill. 

An example of a circular economy is where coffee grinds can be mixed with other materials to create furniture. 

Geo Mapping is a process of analysing, interpreting and visualising data linked to a particular place. It can combine information from a whole range of different sources, including drones, weather patterns and soil analysis. 

It is particularly helpful in the farming industry, as it can help farmers identify the most suitable locations and times for planting different crops, as well as how to maintain them, based on factors such as soil type, elevation, water availability and weather patterns. So farmers can optimise crop yields and reduce the risk of crop failure. 

The Just Transition seeks to ensure that the substantial benefits of a transition to a greener economy are shared widely, actively supporting those who stand to lose out from the changes. This can be at an international level, looking at workers affected in the Global South, as well as closer to home. An example of why we need the Just Transition, is when UK coal mines were shut down in the 80s, leaving thousands of people long-term unemployed with no opportunity to reskill and find new jobs. When we design new systems, we need to think carefully who will be impacted and how we can enable them to benefit from a fairer, just transition. 

Blockchain is a distributed database, with a decentralised record of transactions. It is fully traceable and has the potential to create a fairer distribution of wealth. Its most famous application is in crypto currencies such as Bitcoin, but it has fare more wide-reaching domains such as tracing the food supply chain and enabling peer to peer agricultural transactions at scale, in a quicker and fully transparent way.  

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Brought to you by Olivia Sibony at Impact Amplified. 

At Impact Amplified, we run short programmes that focus on what actions you or your team can take in the context of your business. The focus is on understanding the context you operate in, and then honing on a tangible action you can take. By the end of the 1-day, UN-accredited course, you will have boiled it down to 2 things you can do in the context of your role at work: an individual action and a collective action. 

You will see that the little things we do in business can unlock a big impact. Our goal is to inspire you to see the power you hold, to effect change. 

You can see our signature programme here and you can contact Olivia directly liv@impactamplified.co.uk to find out more. 

With special thanks to Gareth Jones, mix engineer, to Marie Jessel, producer, to Raj Samuel, creative director, and to Shane Ivers for the music.