When Josie Grenfell was growing up, she loved nothing more than to play with her sister in the parklands near her Longueville home.
“The park had indigenous rock carvings of emus and the most beautiful native bush landscape. I remember the leaning, twisting gum trees and rock caves and watching boats sail past. I visited again recently and fully appreciated its rustic beauty, which I probably took for granted when I was young…. perhaps not deep down in my subconscious mind.”
While Josie’s recollections hint at a deep-seated love of the environment, she insists her family weren’t greenies. Although she confesses her grandparents did have a wonderful garden, and her mother loved tending to it.
“I didn’t realise it at the time, but I am sure these experiences played a big part in my passion for helping protect nature,” Josie said.
Nurturing mother nature
Meanwhile, in her day-to-day role as a dietician in the public health system, Josie was struck by the amount of food waste going to landfills.
“It is mind-boggling and disappointing to see how much nutritionally valuable; edible food is thrown away. Especially when there are so many people going hungry. I first and foremost support food rescue/donation to humans and animals,” she said, “but there is also always plenty of valuable material left over.”
Having children intensified Josie’s need to be part of the solution to combat climate change and end food waste. However, it wasn’t until she learned of the work of zero waste campaigner Gerry Gillespie that an idea for how she could contribute began to germinate.
In 2019 Josie met another Aussie who was also passionate about eliminating waste – Annabel Schweiger. Schweiger, too, shared a passion for the work of Gerry Gillespie on returning organics to soils.
“We both knew and respected the work Gerry had done and could not understand why it wasn’t a mainstream business (it’s a win, win in so many ways), so we decided to give it go!”
The duo came together to form Food2Soil.
What is Food2Soil?
Josie describes Food2Soil as ‘kombucha’ for plants and soil.
“It is nutrient-rich and microbially alive plant food, also known as biological fertilisers or bio stimulants. It is your all-purpose, year-round garden tonic.”
It sounds simple, but a lot of science goes into the manufacturing of the product.
“Our uniqueness in the market is that Food2Soil repurposes food waste and is microbially alive,” Josie explains. “Most of the products on the market have trace elements of nutrition but are microbially barren. The microbes in the soil increase the bioavailability of nutrients, allowing plants to take them up more easily. Without a healthy microbial ecosystem, many nutrients are leached or blown away, causing significant damage to local waterways and beyond.
“Food2Soil provides natural nutrition from food waste (non-synthetic form) and the live beneficial microbes in a 2-in-1 solution. Food2Soil feeds the soil and, in turn, the plant and the surrounding ecosystems. It’s also safe for bees and beneficial insects.”
Saving the planet
To date, Food2Soil has prevented:
- 1,820 kg of commercial food waste going to landfill
- 28,150 cups of coffee grounds from landfill
- 3,380 kg of Co2 emissions from entering the atmosphere
Not to mention the soil the benefits the products microbes have delivered to the soil feeding, nourishing and helping to build resilient and healthy plants.
“These figures are rising with every batch we produce; the bigger the business, the more we can process. We are in the process of looking for partners to scale production and have an impact on the climate,” Josie said.
Why Food2Soil is so nourishing
Josie believes Food2Soil works so well because soil, like the human gut, needs beneficial microbes to function at its best.
“Just like in humans, food is always the best form of nutrition, rather than supplements (which should be used only when required). As a dietitian, I always recommend a healthy balanced diet before a store-bought synthetic product.
“Our trials demonstrate better overall plant growth when compared with a standard seaweed extract. Bio fertilisers also increase plant tolerance to climate factors and pest resistance. Its well-known plants grown in healthy soil are more likely to thrive; Food2Soil works because it focuses more on the health of the soil than just the plant. We offer a money-back guarantee if customers are unhappy with the results.”
Building a more sustainable future
Food2Soil’s credo is ‘a better business for a better world, and to date, the brand is living up to its mantra.
“We believe business can play a significant role in the fight against climate change. Over 75 per cent of consumers will buy a product if it has a positive environmental outcome. When gardeners, urban farmers and agricultural producers choose Food2soil, they reduce food waste in landfills (and the associated greenhouse gas emissions) and improve soil health and its ability to recapture and store carbon from the atmosphere. Food2 Soil is a fabulous example of a circular economy business model that is scalable, modular and can be anywhere there is food waste.
“We don’t need to create a product in one corner of the country and ship it around (increasing carbon footprint); we can create biofertiliser closer to the source and generate more jobs with it. We proudly stand by Food2Soil: A Better Business for a Better World.”
Find out more about Food2Soil here
Kochie’s Business Builders and PEUGEOT Professional are proud to bring you Innovators, a national competition to find Australia’s most innovative small businesses disrupting the norm in 2022. We asked you to nominate and vote for inventive, creative businesses that are disrupting the norm. From 1000s of votes you selected your winner!
It’s all thanks to PEUGEOT Professional vans, made for businesses driving their own roads to success. See more at peugeot.com.au.
Trending
Weekly business news and insights, delivered to your inbox.