Marion, Sylvain, you founded HappyFeed to walk agrifood companies towards a more positive and engaged food production. Why was this service necessary?
“Happy Feed is born from two observations. Firstly, that consumers were going to radically change their food consumption habits which would in turn trigger a food revolution. Secondly F&B manufacturers had become too big and incapable of innovating. They were unable to answer consumers’ requests for new foods that would be healthier for them and for the environment.”
“This led us to develop innovative services to bring agility and relevance in these companies.”
One of your tools, the ‘HappyFeed Factory’ is an externalized innovation service for the F&B industry. It aims at matching product conceptualization with consumers’ desires. You partner today with industry giants such as Danone or Nestle. Have F&B companies lost touch with their customer base? How do you guide them towards finding consumers’ wishes?
“The agrifood industry was unable to comprehend how new consumers would feed themselves and what products they would be seeking for. Smaller and more agile companies have started taking market shares with products more aligned to consumers’ new desires.”
“Through our ‘HappyFeed Factory’ service we collaborate with clients from a startup perspective. From concept design to creation and pre-serie development we bring them our convictions, our agility and freedom. We help them reconnect with consumers who have lost confidence with larger brands.”
You defend a citizen approach of nutrition to protect our environment (localism, supply chain control) and ensure food security for all. Has eating become activism? How can F&B companies play a part towards this trend?
“Indeed, feeding oneself is no longer a basic functional need but a citizen act. People pay attention to what they eat either because of health choices or for the preservation of our food system and, through it, our environment. F&B manufacturers have a second chance to (re)conquer their customers by providing transparency on the whole value chain: from sourcing to distribution and considering clean label recipes and more recyclable packaging.”
“We always remind our customers that everything is possible in the current food revolution! Larger brands will disappear, others will be profoundly modified, and new ones will appear. Each sector must take its responsibilities and develop a positive food strategy to offer ‘Better food to more people’.”