Experts in Conversion: The Future of Food: Nourishing People and Planet

Food is essential to human survival, yet the role of nutrition in health and wellness is often relegated to a secondary discussion or one-size-fits-all advice. Often healthcare providers don’t discuss nutrition until one has an underlying condition such as obesity, heart disease or diabetes.

Thankfully, the tide seems to be changing. I had the amazing opportunity to interview Erin Boyd Kappelhof, CEO of Eat Well Global, a strategy and communications agency for the food and healthcare industries about emergent trends in food. As a Certified B Corporation, Eat Well Global, is on a mission to unlock both business potential and positive impact in food and health.

Q: Why did you chose to work in the food industry as your primary vehicle for impact?

1) everyone eats 2) the food industry is powerful and 3) small changes within large organizations can have a positive ripple effect across the entire food system.

Movement Towards Healthy and Sustainable

Q: You’ve written that a healthy and sustainable portfolio isn’t just a nicety — it’s an absolute necessity. What are the key factors driving the movement towards healthy and sustainable?

There are so many headwinds facing businesses today, especially in food and health-focused industries.

The climate crisis, ongoing geopolitical conflicts and rising food prices are all part of this because it strains the system, contributing to everything from food insecurity to supply chain disruptions.

At the same time, consumers in certain markets are also increasingly concerned about sustainability and processed foods.

There’s also growing consumer interest in topics like nutrient density and protein, especially given the sudden rise in the use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss. Those consumers are rapidly and substantially changing their diets. Because the medication affects appetites and many of these consumers can no longer tolerate large volumes or certain types of foods, every bite counts. As such, they are paying much more attention to the nutrient density and protein of the foods and beverages they consume.

All of this is creating a perfect storm that companies need to address — the good news is that when companies decide to take action on climate and nutrition, the solutions are often synergistic. The bad news is that most companies haven’t connected those dots yet. But that’s where our team comes in to help.

Food and Climate Change

Q: When it comes to climate change, food production, distribution and consumption are often considered part of the problem. Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has reframed food systems as part of the solution. While this may seem like semantics to some, do you see any potential benefits from this reframing?

Absolutely. The reality is that we need agriculture. It’s not something society can survive without. So by bringing the food producers — everyone from farmers, ranchers, growers, co-ops, manufacturers, retailers and food service providers — into the conversation about how to do it better together, there are more forces working towards a better future vs. just finger pointing, which on its own, isn’t solutions oriented.

Polarization, in almost every aspect of society, unfortunately, is getting in the way of progress. I am hopeful that the tide is turning a bit, as more nuance is being introduced into conversations about food and agriculture, especially around the need to find solutions that safeguard the environment, but are also nutritious and protective of local cultures and economies.

AI and Food

Q: The application of AI is a hot topic for every industry at the moment. How is AI being applied to food systems?

The main thing that comes to mind is regenerative agriculture, which refers to a broad category of agricultural practices aiming to mitigate climate change, restore biodiversity and ecosystems, and ultimately improve soil health and human health. We simply won’t achieve regenerative agriculture at scale without AI. Rethinking and remaking an industry that has been functioning for its intended purpose (producing more food at lower prices) for decades, will absolutely require the assistance, accuracy and speed offered by AI solutions. It’s already helping improve yields and reduce the need for some agricultural inputs, like pesticides. We’ll need much more of that.

Equity and Diversity in Food, Nutrition & Agriculture

Q: Let’s talk about equity in food, nutrition and agriculture. What are some of the consequences of a lack of diversity and equity in these interconnected fields?

Healthcare professionals, especially dietitians, are one of the groups we work very closely with on behalf of our clients (most of our team members, including myself, also hold this professional nutrition credential). The unique thing about dietitians is that they are highly trained in food and nutrition, but they also work in a wide range of settings — healthcare, private practice, community organizations, media, agriculture, business and more.

What’s really important is that they translate these important concepts into language and behaviors that consumers can understand. So when diversity is lacking — for example, over 80% of dietitians in the US are white — it has major consequences. Culture, ethnicity and food choice are deeply interconnected and we know that when patients engage with healthcare providers from their own race or ethnicity, better outcomes are much more likely due to increased trust and familiarity of cultural food norms.

There’s no one “right” way to eat. A nourishing diet provides more than nutrients — it also reflects cultures, beliefs, and provides enjoyment and opportunities for socialization. An incredible organization called Diversify Dietetics, which Eat Well Global proudly supports, is dedicated to increasing ethnic and racial diversity in the nutrition and dietetics profession. This group is run by some powerhouse women and they’re making a big impact by breaking down some of the barriers of entry into the profession and supporting established dietitians of color to have greater success and impact. We need more of that across the board.

Future of Technology in Nutrition and Wellness

Q: How would you like to see technology applied to nutrition and wellness?

My hope is that it will just keep getting more accurate and personalized. From wearables to fitness apps to personalized nutrition analyses, technology is helping consumers and healthcare organizations have a much better understanding of an individual’s needs, habits, risk factors and the most suitable solutions.

We know now that there’s no one size fits all when it comes to exercise recommendations, ideal diets or even the precise amount of sleep we each need. Public health guidelines, like getting regular movement and eating enough fruits and vegetables, 7–9 hours of nightly sleep, those are based on population research and they’re exactly that — guidelines.

I’m excited for the next generation of technologies that will bring precision into our health and well-being decisions. But back to the equity and diversity question from earlier, companies behind all new nutrition and wellness technologies must ensure racial, ethnic and gender diversity are adequately included in the algorithms to avoid unintentional harm — because health and well-being are for everyone.

Erin Boyd Kappelhof, CEO of Eat Well Global, is a business-focused nutritionist with over 20 years of experience in food manufacturing, retail, public health and communication. Erin leads a team of nutrition, business and insights experts who chart the course for impact-forward clients, including multinational FMCGs, agriculture organizations, retailers and global health-focused foundations.

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