Why wait?

Our current food system is under pressure. Climate change, biodiversity loss and resource scarcity are becoming increasingly visible. Action is being taken: international treaties are signed and national targets are being set.

But what if change isn't happening fast enough?

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In Amsterdam, a growing group of entrepreneurs is taking a closer look at the way we produce and consume food. Not because sustainability is trendy, but because the current system is reaching its limits.

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They ask a simple question: why are we still doing it this way?

That question is leading to new businesses and new products. Often by finding smarter ways to work with what already exists.

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It's all about the choice

Every year, roughly one-third of all food produced globally goes to waste. As resources become scarcer, that reality makes less and less sense.

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That is where Instock comes in. Based in Amsterdam, the company rescues food that would otherwise be discarded.

Originally known for its restaurants, Instock has grown into a sustainable wholesaler by giving food a second life and by working with sustainable brands. Products that no longer meet supermarket requirements but are still perfectly usable are collected, processed and sold again.

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What Instock demonstrates is that food waste is not an inevitable outcome. More often, it is the result of choices made throughout the supply chain.

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No eggs please

Innovation is happening at the product level too. Take Mayoneur, an Amsterdam-based producer of plant-based mayonnaise. The founders saw a significant opportunity to reduce emissions by removing eggs from one of the world's most widely used sauces.

Remarkably, sustainability is not the centrepiece of their story. At least not on the surface. While many brands try to convince consumers with sustainability claims, Mayoneur starts somewhere else: taste. Crispy Chili. Sweet Chili Sesame. Spicy Truffle.

Instead of asking consumers to change their behaviour, they create products that people naturally want to choose. Maybe that's what connects many of Amsterdam's food entrepreneurs: building alternatives that fit within people's everyday lives.

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