Overview
Foodure Institute is a fictional institution that aims to help organizations working in the food sector to foresee probable food futures and take action upon upcoming challenges. For this occasion the Foodure Institute held a workshop with Corbin Hill Food Project, a values-driven organization that distributes local, farm fresh food to communities throughout New York City to supply fresh food to those who need it most. During the workshop technological, political, economical and social factors were considered and discussed. As such, questions the workshop are asking include: Who will be farming? What will technology add or detract from the field? What will our food systems will look like in 100 years?
Introduction
As a part of Project Studio II: Emergent Social Forms of the M.F.A. Transdisciplinary Design program, we were assigned to held a Participatory Futures Workshop in a external setting. We had the amazing opportunity to work along with Corbil Hill Food Project to explore the future of food production in the US. This futures workshop had them explore their relationship with thinking about futures, and how it could impact their work.
Process
The workshop agenda was composed of an introduction of ourselves and participants, introduction to Futuring, main activity, sharing outcomes and reflection of the outcomes.
In order to contextualize participants with futuring, we made a quick introduction, explained how can be helpful for organizations and pointed out that the idea isn't to predict the future, but to allow organizations to better understand the possible futures to adapt as needed over time as things change.
After the introduction, the participants were able to pick a pre-selected signal through a game. The criteria of pre selection of the signals was to be related to Corbin Hill Food Project Practices. We divided them in five sections People, Location, Agriculture, Nature/Nutrition, and Technology/Transportation. (PLANT)
Foodure Institute
Possibilities for food sector organizations to anticipate future challenges and take action towards them.
Timeline: April 2018
Team: Alyssa Kropp, Jonas Voigt, Megan Willy, Yuxin Cheng
Role: Workshop design and facilitation, photography
Collaboration: Corbin Hill Food Project
Approaches: Speculative Design, Futuring, Participatory Design
Once all the participants had a signal, they formed teams, where they discussed each signal and developed Future Wheels and Scenarios. Later on, teams were able to represent the scenarios they discussed during the previous activity in Dioramas format with material we provided them. The second part of making was about writing a letter from themselves in the future to themselves in the present, where they would explain they current life and give advice about their choices.
The last part of the workshop was the sharing part, where each of the teams talked about their scenarios and letters. We wrapped up with a reflection of the workshop and how they could apply this to their work. The participants gave a great feedback about how they might use futuring.
I think we can use this future wheel while strategizing our future. Too often we get caught up in the every day and don't see the long term vision.
Dennis Derryck
Founder, President Corbin Hill Food Project
Special Credits
Branding: Yuxin Cheng, Video: Jonas Voight, Photograpy: Mariana González