The role of Sharing Economy in the food industry
Since the 2008 financial crisis where hierarchical and competitive companies have failed, new alternative models of exchange have blossomed. In times where brick and mortar businesses have transformed into digital spaces or where ownership is being replaced by access, many entrepreneurs have managed to take a part of this transformation by giving shape to the so called “Sharing Economy”.
This new decentralized socio economic system claims the reuse of assets through online marketplaces to reduce waste, build collaborative communities, enhance social cohesion and empower peer to peer relationships. Almost a decade ago, the Sharing Economy disrupted the tourism sector, today it has touched almost every industry: education, transportation, finance, consumer goods, personal & professional service and now also Food!
The Changing industry trends
Our food system has become so industrialized and production-oriented that 90% of the food we eat is grown, transported, processed, packed and cooked by people we will never meet, using unknown methodologies, in unspecified places. New and traditional players are busy fighting The Billion Dollar Food Delivery War for high profit and low operational costs using convenience foods, attractive packaging and quick delivery services, as the best weapons to meet consumer needs.
Technological advancements and the rise of industrialization has transformed food into a commodity and has disassociated food products from people working in the food industry who have been left susceptible and vulnerable to abuse, forced to accept low wages and long work hours with no work security.
The impact of the food industry on our eating habits.
These companies, supported by governments and policies, find a perfect fit with the current market which is driven by consumers’ eating habits dictated by work and leisure activities. With the changing trends meals don’t take place at set hours of the day anymore, snacking has become more common across the world and the tradition of taking a long break to prepare and eat a wholesome meal at home is slowly losing its supporters.
Research has shown that factors such as long work hours, increase of women in the workforce, along with shrinking household sizes makes consumers turn to meal options that are quicker and easier to prepare, such as ready meals, cooking aids and takeaway meals.
As a result, many people today lack the basic cooking skills, which are not being passed on from mother to child as compared to how it worked in the past. The younger generations no longer know how to recognize fresh and good quality ingredients or how to cook a wholesome and tasty meals from scratch. This new wave is resulting in the fast decline and loss of traditional food, basic cooking techniques along with the knowledge and values of food.
The Sharing Economy brings a new wave of opportunities.
At Mealby we believe in the power of homemade food because it goes beyond basic need of satisfying the physical need of hunger. For us, home-cooked food is “de-commoditised food” and something that is prepared by a person rather than a company.
While the industry continues to push convenient solutions that disconnect people from food and the process of making it — which at the end hurts the entire society — Mealby aims to economically empower cooks who have been denied and exploited by the professional food industry and connect them with their community in a meaningful way so that they can contribute preserving food culture and promoting a more healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
We offer tools, resources and marketing material allowing cooks to easily and professionally sell food from home and we connect them to neighbours and friends through our online marketplace so that they can start a business in the food industry and create their own brand without any risk or upfront investment.
Sharing Economy has brought with it a new wave of opportunities for passionate cooks, culinary students and professional chefs who have dreamed to tap into the food industry but due to a lack of business skills, economical resources or both were left with no choice but to give up on their dreams.
It is worth to remark that the Sharing Economy is the economy of people and this is basically the beauty of it. Peer and collaborative production of goods, in this case, wholesome and authentic homemade meals, empowers cooks to do what they love and open up healthy and sustainable choices for consumers who would like to eat better food. The Sharing Economy is here to stay and initiatives like Mealby are the vehicles and the essence of this disruptive change.
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