This year, World Food Day saw delegates of the UN meet to discuss the theme, “Our Actions are Our Future.” Ahead of the World Food Day 2018, three food and agriculture agencies of the United Nations in India - World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) came together to hold important talks on 14th October at the UN House in New Delhi, India, to throw light on the pledge to achieve #ZeroHunger by 2030. Countering food wastage and upholding sustainable agricultural practices and sustainable consumption patterns is a major concern around this year’s theme, so that today’s actions don’t become tomorrow’s burden.
In India, World Food Day marks the significance of agriculture and emphasizes on healthy food production and consumption. Agriculture is one of the major sectors in our country contributing 20% to the yearly economic growth measured in GDP. In spite of the declining rates of agricultural growth in terms of GDP, the contribution of the agriculture sector in Indian economy is much higher than world's average (6.1%). Hence, it is not only how food is consumed, but how it is grown is also something that determines larger problems of sustainability. To stay organic and natural would spearhead sustainability and help in bridging the food gap.
There is an organic farm in the small district of Birbhum in Bengal, run by an urban couple who left their high paying jobs in U.S.A., feeling the futility of leading a life shrouded in the urban smog. They realized that the basic needs of human life i.e. pure food, water and air, were not being met by the big city life. No matter how luxuriously they had been living, this organization which is now named “The Smell of The Earth”, sustains low-input chemical-free minimal intervention farming. All the food they eat, they grow themselves and the excess they sell off. It is a classic example of going back to the roots of food crop production against commercial production where there was no food wastage. Biowaste too goes into making natural manure to enrich the soil. Agriculture is also going through a major change, becoming less labour intensive and more technological, by using less pesticides and fertilizers while also being high priced.
World Food Day is celebrated with great gusto in India; some earnest food lovers in Delhi find this as an occasion to communicate the need to keep food hygienic and safe. They opposed the use of GM crops and harmful pesticides and insecticides. They express their views through art, street plays and exhibits at Craft Museum, Dastakar Mela. While we are bringing up a generation concerned more about Instagram worthy pictures of food, people are also growing more and more conscious about consuming the right kind of food and maintaining a proper balance in their diet. The move towards gluten free and organic food is a move towards staying hygienic and healthy. That is what World Food day entails, to enhance current food styles and lifestyles and bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots.
We are now witness to the springing up of organic and healthy food brands and many organic farms along with it from where we can get fresh vegetables and fruits. Bagrry’s in India is a popular brand of sugar free muesli and other healthy breakfast substitutes perfect to start the day with. Coupling it with a juice of Raw Pressery or milk from Pride of Cows is the way to go for the increasingly conscious Indian. There is a general tendency now to have multigrain bread instead of white bread and to have less of oil and more of raw fruits and vegetables. Individual consumer choices shape up a healthier foodscape and ensures that serious heart diseases and diabetes that can affect future generations do not crop up in today’s youth. Brands have harped on these changing trends to launch new products that are vegan or gluten free. Restaurants too have been seen to add new sections on their menus to cater to this change.
To add to new product lines, keeping up the standards of health and nutrition for women has been a big concern for big brands in recent times. Special Women’s Horlicks, Bournvita, Ensure and other nutrient substituents being pushed for a specified target of middle aged women identified to be needing a nutrition different from men.
While the number of initiatives taken towards these changing lifestyles is plenty, not many brands focus on food wastage and sustainable consumption. Eg. For every purchase of P&G products, some portion of it goes towards the Shiksha foundation. Similarly, if F&B brands start schemes where on every purchase of 100g, 10g goes towards feeding the hungry, we can ensure a healthy and sustainable future.
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Partner
With 15+ years of spatial design experience, Sveta leads the team that helps extend brands to three-dimensional spaces. She has the ability to visualise intangible attributes such as brand positioning and translate them to materials, finishes and furniture in every space. Her belief is simple – ‘every detail in retail design has to reflect the brand.’ Over the years she has worked with some of the biggest brands in the hospitality and retail industry. At ABND, she is pivotal in projects that require branded interior design, retail design, way-finding and signage systems. Sveta is as defined and disciplined in dance as she is in her work!
March 1, 2018
The pioneer of liberal education in India, Pune based FLAME University is creating waves in liberating young minds. Over the years, the institution has built a reputation for itself that is significant enough to reckon with. Built on the methodology of psychologist Howard Gardner’s ‘multiple intelligence,’ there is a renewed focus on interdisciplinary learning. A vast array of options lies for students as there are over 250 unique major-minor combinations to choose from here. While you can major in subjects like Economics, Psychology, International Studies, Environmental Studies and Journalism, you can also graduate in Dance, Music, Theatre and Design. At FLAME, you could also do a BSc in Applied Mathematics and BBA degrees in Finance, Marketing, Communications Management, HRM, Operations and Entrepreneurship.
At a time when private players are still not trusted in the field of higher education, FLAME University is still a clear preference for young minds, owing to its unique approach. The string of collaborations it has made makes it an institution of excellence which stands out. Renowned foreign universities including Nuffield College, York University of Canada, and Wellesley College, Babson Collaborative and other institutes of repute have tied up with FLAME University.
At ABND, FLAME University was given a rejuvenated identity. Several competing institutions offered Liberal Education as part of the curriculum as well. In an attempt to set themselves apart from the clutter, FLAME University needed to rebrand themselves by giving Liberal Education a new way of expression we proposed for them – ‘Diversity of the Mind.’ To know more on how this reputed institute was envisioned anew and given a dynamic visual identity. To know more Click Here
Founder-Partner
Kunal says, “I’ve no specific talent, I’m merely inquisitive.” While his past experiences include product design, retail branding, packaging and design for manufacturing his true passion lies in branding and strategy. He’s the go-to person whenever the crafting needs finesse or the creation needs a fresh perspective. A certain sixth sense guides him in business and branding, honing the skill through experience. Kunal is also a guest lecturer and visiting faculty at a college in Mumbai, teaching branding to young bright minds.
February 27, 2018
Coming into view, the emerging logistics company, Grab, have recently received heavy government investment backing from Small Industries Development Bank of India’s wholly owned subsidiary, SIDBI Venture Capital Limited. Pratish Sanghvi, the co-founder of Grab, said that this funding of $1.5million is detrimental to their growth as the company is currently working on a crowdsourcing distribution model. SIDBI has joined a list of their big investors including Aramex, Zomato, Sixth Sense Ventures and Oliphans Capital. In spite of the hyperlocal delivery space being overcrowded, Grab was a prominent player for SIDBI to consider because of its sector-agnostic approach and its high chances of being EBITDA positive.
Providing hyperlocal and intracity logistics services to businesses including restaurants, food tech platforms, pharmacies and banks, Grab was once only doing food deliveries, being known as Grab-A- Grub. ABND had worked on the brand’s identity when they wanted to expand from being a food delivery startup to an all-encompassing hyperlocal logistics company. Changing from Grab-A- Grub to Grab, their rebranding made for a more sharper and agile brand. To know more Click Here
February 22, 2018
Thursdays at ABND just got chocolaty! Each of us brought our favourite chocolate to office. There was a huge goblet brimming over with chocolates of all kinds, apart from our favourite ones too. In a game of passing the parcel, the rubik’s cube filling in for the parcel in the last moment, the chocolates were exchanged amongst the chocoholics! What you got to pick in the lottery became your chocolate.The twist in the story came with the fact that the last person to pick her own chocolate in the lottery, got a chance to win the entire Goblet of Chocolates! Poornima won the Goblet. Following that we quirked it up by trading some of our chocolates with the Goblet Queen. It was a fun trade off. There were some toothaches after, but it was a happy sugar rush.
February 19, 2018
After back to back workshops and presentations through the weeks, the team felt like taking a break under the sun. Around the coffee table, there were some games and some lively chatter. While we had started the day all pumped up with a presentation for brand identity that went down well with the client, we ended the day on a light note at a coffee shop. From acting out the weirdest of movie names like ‘Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola’ and ‘Chameli ki shaadi’, we had great fun breaking down apparently simple ones too, when playing dumb charade. All of us had a crazy good time guessing interesting symbols and rhyming words when dissecting and decoding the films. We, at ABND, love our breaks as much as we enjoy the action!
Associate-Strategy
An experimenter at heart, Nikita’s experiences in interior design, sculpture design, advertising and branding has made her flexible to new ideas and new spaces. Nikita is a certified scuba diver. She has her own website, showcasing beautiful illustrations and paintings. Her art speaks of her love for animals and her admiration for the creatures of the sea. She loves to travel around the world and brainstorm on challenges.
Associate-Strategy
Stringing up the world with words, Sumanjari is driven by creativity, but with a purpose. Munching at her table always, she can (over)think but not on an empty stomach. She loves her coffee bittersweet and her strategies well researched. Academically inclined, she has written research papers on a wide range of topics from religion and music to branding to euthanasia. Sumanjari values spending time with her students, lecturing at a college by the weekends apart from her engagement at ABND.
Head-Creative
With a strong influence in the Applied Arts, our happy-go-lucky green haired creative lead has been a constant in team ABND right from its founding years. She is always humming a tune or two and livening up the pulse of the workspace. Ekta’s optimism and openness to new ideas fuels her creative best. Quirking it up in her attire, food and art, Ekta’s innovative at heart. She has a childish impulse of surprising others. Her love for bikes and nature deserves a special mention!
Founder-Partner
Priyanka Sachdev Shahra is a design thinker and serial entrepreneur. Her passions lie in bringing meaningful projects to life. Priyanka’s experience with entrepreneurship begun in 2010, when she cofounded ABND with Kunal Vora. Always having strongly felt for what’s environmentally and socially sustainable, she set up One With Earth in 2014 as a vehicle to support such projects. She has also been involved in an interesting venture which is a first of its kind in Singapore, an online swapping platform called Swapaholic. Priyanka manages the Singapore office of ABND.
Associate-Creative
A woman of less words and more action, this designer on the dot likes to keep it short and sweet. Having mastered in design in college, Poornima is driven by discipline and style. Zumba is a favourite pastime and she is also passionate for the cause of saving stray animals. Simplicity is what defines her spirit, whether she is designing or talking.
Associate-Creative
Debugging and resolving errors, Hitesh is the techie in the house responsible for digital and web strategies. A smooth operator, he is persistent in problem-solving. He is very passionate about solving the Rubik’s cube and we can see him at it often. We can tell that at school he must have been immersed in his science projects, which led him further to study information technology. In sports too it’s always the technique which fascinates him. The music in his ears is always loud enough for the entire office to hear!
Associate-Creative
With several years of experience in Interior Design, Deepu is the go to guy for detailing each space to the T. He lives Mies Van Der Rohe’s quote “god is in the detail”. His experience helps the team visualize design concepts from a detailed point of view, mapping it on to real spaces. A quiet and simple soul, we can always see Deepu working at his desk with complete concentration. A workaholic at heart, he is also a cricket buff and a harmonium player. He likes sticking to a rule book but won’t mind swinging to a catchy rhythm when he’s off work.
Administrator
Organized and to the point, our administrator likes keeping the house in order. Florie also has varied talents in cooking, sewing and embroidering. Diligence drives us as a team and so does it drive the person who holds the pack together. Florie is fond of country music and likes reading murder mysteries.