My mom remembers me squealing for joy when I ran home from school and saw green beans ready for harvesting. Or when I sold a bag of avocados. I considered studying but instead opted to study business. And started in corporate America. But many twists and turns consulting, working with entrepreneurs. A defining moment for me was in 2007. During the first world food crisis, I recognized how connected we were. Oil price shocks which affected bread prices. And the most vulnerable were hurt. Fourteen years later, We're even more connected, and our food ecosystem. Thankfully, the Rockefeller Foundation on the true cost of food. Which indicates that even though on our annual food expenditure. We actually spend 2.1 trillion and climate, all because of our broken food ecosystem. These same statistics have been. In fact, according to the UN our food system is value-destroying. There's a need for urgent action. From at least three lenses. A health lens, an equity lens and a climate lens. Starting with the climate lens, we must modify how we grow food. Our food ecosystem is one of the largest. We keep cutting down trees and we keep wasting food. Generates methane. The good news is. And the science today to grow enough food to feed the world and to address our food waste problems. We have the knowledge, but we're not using it. There are exciting examples where we're seeing dramatic impact. The Songhai Center in Benin Republic educates young Africans. And zero-waste total production. And one of these young people. Through his company, Bioloop, he's feeding waste, to black soldier fly larva. They're growing really quickly. The byproducts and the residue is wonderful soil supplements. And the entire production process. Through my work with Sahel Consulting, we're demonstrating that farmers without hurting the environment. We're using technology and science and we're proving that in Africa, there are great examples. Now we need to scale these interventions. And we need to ensure our private sector, our farmers, are incentivized to change behavior. If you're as impatient as I am, by reducing the food waste in your home. Every single person here. To ensure that their schools, their civil society groups and a food waste policy. And please don't tell your children because there are hungry. Tell them to finish their dinner and healthy food is good for them. Second, we must ensure and accessible for the most vulnerable. This is a huge challenge. Unhealthy food kills. And we know this. One out of every five deaths. And yet, one third cannot afford a healthy diet. This is a big challenge. Now food is medicine. Healthy food gives us long. And during COVID, shipping challenges and the most vulnerable have had to shift because they are cheaper. This has caused more damage. We must take a stand on this. There Hadzabe people in Tanzania. And through their lives, we’ve seen the ability. They eat ten times more fiber. Oftentimes we don't realize that even we have so much to learn. In urban communities, we also have exciting that's using digital technology, to get urban populations high blood pressure and so many linked to eating ultra-processed food to shift to more traditional diets. We must scale these type of interventions, but we must also hold our private sector for the amount of sugar. We must set standards and define healthy food according to plant-based diet, and keep all of us accountable. We must also encourage our governments state and federal level. Our school feeding programs our public procurement programs and collectively, we ensure that we keep every child. If you are as impatient as me, you must also set standards and hold those in your spheres for delivering unhealthy food. Third, we must support. In the food ecosystem, small- and medium-sized enterprises. They create jobs, they are innovative, and they can pivot very quickly. But during the pandemic. They are most affected by shocks. The mortality rates of small- in the food ecosystem has been quite high. Now through my work, I’ve seen the value and the power. I'm the co-founder. Over 50 percent of our staff are women. Fifty percent of our board are women. And we produce healthy food. Through this company, we're demonstrating you empower communities. One product that we sell has a ripple. Another company that's worthy using mobile money and cell phones. Now their efficiency creating shorter value chains, the retailer benefits, but the consumer. And finally, I'm most inspired. Through Nourishing Africa, I work with enterprises who are scaling sustainable businesses, building healthy food companies and demonstrating that strong, small- and medium-sized enterprises, committed to sustainable can become change agents. We need to support our small- creating an enabling environment for them, providing catalytic financing, enabling them to scale, and supporting women-owned businesses, especially businesses run by young women. In the food ecosystem, when we plant the seed to let it grow. We're often told so that the juices will flow. We're told that "ndidiamaka,". But a wise woman once said, "For the dreamer, impatience is a virtue." I am impatient about the current pace. And I think we all must be courageous. The next time you eat a meal. Who grew this food? Where was it grown? When was it grown? How many steps and stops did it make? How much food waste was generated? Let your answers influence your next meal.