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Fermented flour a food waste breakthrough
Ninna Granucci, a former University of Auckland international student, is part of a new generation of thinkers contributing solutions with out-of-the-box thinking.
Ninna grew up in Brazil and saw for herself the amount of food waste primary producers there generated. Learning about the scale of the problem globally, she resolved to apply her skills to help bring about change.
“I wanted to use science in an area which fascinates me –microbiology and specifically, fermentation – to try and find a solution to this huge problem.”
University of Auckland a great place for new ideas
Ninna chose to study for her PhD in Biological Sciences under Dr Silas Villas-Boas at the University of Auckland in 2014. “The university environment was a great place for new ideas, to promote the spark to find solutions to problems, with the scientific approach to support it.”
It clearly worked. After only 18 months, she had a breakthrough in the lab which she knew could make a real difference. She refined a fermentation process to successfully convert waste pulp and peel from selected fruit and vegetables into a nutritious flour. Widening the range of ingredients in her trial, she proved she was on to something.
Data from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)shows that almost 32 percent of plant-based product is wasted annually. Ninna’s technology has the potential to make substantial progress on this.
It turned out that the ingredients also tick all the boxes for health and sustainability-conscious consumers: high protein, high fibre, low calorie, gluten free, rich in vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants. And the bonus is that they also have lowest CO2 footprint compared with other ingredients in the market today.
Entering her prototype into the University’s Velocity 100K Business Idea Challenge sparked media interest and a flurry of inquiries from supermarkets and other businesses wanting to buy the product. “That was when we realised it was not only an academic project but also something which could be much bigger and could help to address the problem of food waste,” Ninna says.
Green Spot Technologies has global plans
With support from Velocity, she and Silas co-founded sustainable food innovation company Green Spot Technologies, which has ambitious plans to go global. Ninna is now CEO and based in Toulouse, France, where the business is established in a start-up accelerator environment and employs 15 people.
But back in the early days, it was pretty nerve-wracking. “My plan was to complete my PhD first and then set up a company based around the project. But after the success in the Velocity Challenge, we decided the time was right to forge ahead with the start-up. It was quite challenging. My background is all scientific, I didn’t have any experience in business, and I had a lot to learn.”
She is grateful for the support she got at the University of Auckland and believes that her career path would never have progressed as quickly if she hadn’t chosen New Zealand as a study destination.
“I give a lot of credit to New Zealand for how things worked out”
“New Zealand was the catalyst,” she says. “I managed to secure a scholarship through Callaghan Innovation available to students looking to add value to waste streams. It allowed me to focus on the work and find opportunity. I give a lot of credit to New Zealand for how things worked out.”
Ninna worked in Auckland with other international students from around the world and says that, too, helped contribute to her success. “When you are in the same situation you can support each other and that was super important during my PhD.”
New Zealand education the right decision
Ninna remains passionate about sustainability and reducing food waste. It is at the heart of her business and is important to her personally. The mission of Green Spot Technologies is “challenging the food waste paradigm to feed the future”. The company has won multiple awards, both in New Zealand and in Europe, highlighting the unique nature of its technology and products.
With food insecurity spreading to hundreds of millions of people around the world, the UN has set a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to halve food waste by 2030. It is an ambitious target and needs innovative thinkers like Ninna to make it achievable.
“I think it is incredible that we waste so much food, knowing that we need more food in the world. It doesn’t make any sense, but it motivates me to work on solutions,” she says.
The decision to study in New Zealand was a critical part of Ninna’s journey from international student to international businesswoman and innovator. “I could not have imagined that it would lead to such huge changes in my life in such a short time,” she says.
“A New Zealand education provides a truly enriching experience. I really think I made the right decision.”
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Summer holiday fun for Vietnamese students at the 2023 New Zealand Future Skills Camp
At this year’s camp, in addition to NZ EdTech Code Avengers which specialises in digital skills training, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) also worked with another NZ Ed Tech company Chasing Time English, a digital platform that enhances English language learning through exclusive short films. Three local partners were involved to help promote and deliver training sessions for the students.
20 teams were shortlisted for the camps which ran from Saturday 24 June to Sunday 2 July 2023. The teams could participate in a variety of online and in-person group work and interactive activities, learning coding skills together with English skills for an intercultural environment. After the camps, the teams were required to work on a coding project themed “Making a creative and impressive 'Our Future Profile' Webpage introducing your team 15-20 years from now”.
The top eight teams with the most impressive webpages were then invited to present their products, in English, to a panel of judges on Sunday 16 July. The other teams from the 20 who were shortlisted were also invited to the Awards Ceremony held on Friday 7 July to receive certificates and announcement of the final results either in person or virtually.
His Excellency Mr. Scott James, New Zealand Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, attended the Awards Ceremony. In his remarks, he said “All of the students here are already winners because you have not only surpassed many contestants to come this far, but you have also taken the courage to step out of your comfort zone and embark on this adventure to learn new skills.”
Assoc. Prof. Minh Nguyen, Head of Department Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auckland University of Technology, was one of the judges who evaluated the teams’ webpages and then the short-listed presentations. He commented: “It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of such an inspiring event. The creativity and innovation displayed by the teams was truly impressive.”
Ms. Karen Kemsley, Production Manager at Chasing Time English who taught students at online sessions, said: “I had a wonderful time with the NZ Future Skills Camp students. Everyone participated enthusiastically which made the classes both fun and engaging. They took every opportunity they could to share creative opinions and ideas while demonstrating excellent English language skills. They were an absolute delight!”
The 1st prize winning team, together with two 2nd prize winning teams went on to represent Viet Nam at the New Zealand – Asia Code Camp Day on 5 August with other students from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand.
NZFSC not only provided an exciting and meaningful summer event for the participating students, but also left both students and their parents with a very positive impression of Aotearoa New Zealand as an innovative, welcoming and beautiful destination for their potential international education plans.
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Around the world in five
Asia
India’s path to internationalised higher education
India's higher education system is expanding internationalisation efforts to retain students and enhance global competitiveness. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 focuses on cross-cultural understanding and fostering global perspectives. The government encourages collaborations with foreign universities and has established foreign campuses in India to offer world-class education opportunities at home.
North America
US sector applauds gov’t export strategy
The US government's National Export Strategy includes international education for the first time, recognising its importance for the country's global competitiveness. While stakeholders celebrate this move, they urge the government to take further action to protect and strengthen the US's position as the leading destination for international students.
South America
In 2022, Brazilian agencies experienced significant growth in business volumes, with language plus work programmes being highly requested by students. The total number of students placed by surveyed agencies was 7,802, and overall business growth reached 57%. The preferred destinations remained the UK, United States, Canada, South Africa, and Australia, with more students planning to study abroad for higher education.
Europe
Record number of international students for Spain's universities
Spain's international student population surged by 13.6% in the 2021/22 academic year, reaching a record 170,222 students, led by significant growth from Latin American countries like Colombia and Ecuador. The top ten markets all exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with efforts underway to improve work opportunities for non-EU international students.
Africa
Nigerian students rush to secure UK places before dependants ban
International students are applying to UK universities for September 2023 to avoid a forthcoming ban on bringing family members from 2024. Nigerian applications have surged, while some Indian students explore alternative study destinations like such as Canada and Australia.
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