Our Application Specialist’s journey with the Slow Food Youth Network Academy

My name is Oscar, I am an Application specialist at Revyve for 2.5 years now. In a typical work week, you’ll find me baking egg-free muffins, making plant-forward burgers, or testing our latest clean label mayonnaise recipes. But next to my work at Revyve, I felt like I wanted to contribute even more to a fairer and cleaner food system. That’s why in the spring of 2025, I participated in the Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN) Academy – my participation was sponsored by Revyve.

SFYN offers a six month hands-on educational program for young food professionals who are passionate about fair and sustainable food. Through a combination of lectures, excursions, and workshops, we gained a deeper understanding of food chains and food systems. Along the way, we had meaningful conversations with innovative farmers, chefs, scientists, marketeers, and policymakers.

During our conversations, we often spoke of two archetypes of thinkers: the Wizards and the Prophets. Wizards are driven by technological innovation, increasing efficiency and optimizing production methods. Prophets are lead by Earth’s ecological limits, by behaviour and systemetic change and finding a new balance in consumerism. 

Both perspectives are powerful, but have their imperfections. I feel like the Prophet’s vision is often inhibited by perfectionism, caused by idealism and inachievable goals. While the Wizard’s way is much more practical and straight-forward, it often feels too opportunistic and thereby lacks some perspective. I like the analogy of a snooze-button on your alarm. We should fundamentally change something about or food system, and not only snooze our way out of these problems with short-term solutions.

As always, a combination of both seems the best way forward. And that’s what I like about working for Revyve: both the Wizard’s and the Prophet’s view are integrated into one solution. Yes – the ingredients are new and innovative, but the tech behind Revyve’s ingredient is rooted in pragmatism, not perfectionism. They can be made and used right now, without relying on incredibly complicated legislation or equipment. And from a Prophet’s point of view: Revyve’s ingredients are obtained by upcycling a simple product like yeast or other microorganisms. They replace highly impactful animal ingredients like chicken-egg, reducing the strain on the planet’s limits.

During the last 6 months, I spoke to so many change makers, whether they were scientists, chefs, marketeers or retailers. Some are small, agile pioneers and are leading the sustainable pack. Others are bigger and need more time, they rely on thorough research, but do have the volume once they are moving.

Due to the SFYN academy, Revyve has new contacts with artisinal bakers, chefs, oenologists, ice-cream makers, and even food photographers. All in all there is so much happening on so many levels.  We just need to exert everything we can to get this train moving and I am happy to work for a company that is fully aboard.

Yes – we want more slow food and we want it fast.

Photocredits to Mustandstum.com