As of the 13th of February, I started working at BeCook! as an internship student. During the past week, I witnessed how young women entrepreneurs or ambitious female people work on sustainable food projects by attending Women in Food. However, even though I am putting myself in a situation where many people communicate and interact with each other to set up a new business in the sustainable food industry or go further and improve their products in that field, I was not quite sure of the definition of sustainable food.
Women in Food Event which took place on 17 February
What is sustainable food in the first place?
It is said that "Sustainable Food" is "food that is produced and consumed in a sustainable manner over the long term, taking into account global environmental and social issues. It ranges from farming, fishing methods, and transportation to storing food and consumer choices".
Given that definition, I could easily see what Women in Food are dealing with. In Women in Food, they emphasized/stressed the gender gap between men and women regarding entrepreneurship. This project aimed not to focus only on the product but to see and control the big picture through sustainable food and change society in the long run. STATBEL (2022) indicated that in 2019 in Belgium, 1,433,477 positions of founders, directors, and
business managers of Belgian enterprises, of which 30% were women.
What I have witnessed in the event
In the event, the thing I observed/witnessed inspired and energized young women entrepreneurs. All those people pursue making sustainable products or something that interests them eagerly. Moreover, throughout the session, the word I heard the most was "building a network." It contributes to expanding potential clients and gaining new perspectives and supporting, enhancing one another, and feeling not lonely anymore.
Likewise, what I have witnessed at Women in Food, Sara, co-founder of Women in Food and set up a sustainable food business in Brussels claimed that solving the problem of her son's allergy was the first motivation to start a business.
According to the website on Women in Food, "Female Entrepreneurship," Martha Stewart, businesswoman, writer, and television personality mentioned, "Build your business success around something that you love — something that is inherently and endlessly interesting to you."
Furthermore, in the article, she taught every woman that mistakes and failure are part of the process. Persistence is the key, and with persistence come results and achievement. To soldier through upcoming obstacles, Women in Food exists. It can not only support and accompany women interested in activating a professional project in the food and agri-food sector but also build a network or community among those people.
What results could be brought out from this event?
In conclusion, these things that Women in Food are trying to accomplish are very consistent and influential in improving environmental problems, let alone making the betterment of society per se.
Reference
Statbel. (2022, March 7). Independent Entrepreneurs. https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/datalab/independent-entrepreneurs
Women in food. (2023, February 23). Female Entrepreneurship. https://www.womeninfood.be/blog