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“The big issues are sourcing, labor, and price points,” Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University, ... David Friedberg, a

“The big issues are sourcing, labor, and price points,” Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University, ... David Friedberg, a former Google programmer with a degree in astrophysics, hopes to overcome these challenges with a new vegetarian chain called Eatsa. ... “We think the way to do it is quinoa.” Underwhelmed. Though I can see this might be a good example of creating cheaper high quality food, I wonder if the google ^wonderlic^ [0] has thought out the economic implications of trying to monetise a regional specific grain from a third world region? "Bolivian government nutrition programs have begun to incorporate quinoa into school breakfast and new mothers' subsidies." A quick check online yields an assortment of the impact, some positive [1], some negative. [2] The fact the founder worked for Monsanto isn't promising. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderlic_test#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderlic_test#History [1] "Quinoa brings riches to the Andes" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/14/quinoa-andes-bolivia-peru-crop https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/14/quinoa-andes-b... [2] "It’s OK To Eat Quinoa" http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2013/01/quinoa_bad_for_bolivian_and_peruvian_farmers_ignore_the_media_hand_wringing.html http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2013/01/quinoa_bad_f...

Tinyyy 10y ago
Actually he didn't exactly 'work for Monsanto', he founded WeatherBill/The Climate Corporation, which was acquired by Monsanto in 2013 (for 1.1Bn!). Presumably he was 'resting and vesting' until his exit in 2015.
- bootload 10y ago
  thx @Tinyyy, that throws this article [0] in a totally different light. Wonder if any of that technology is going to be x-ferred to Eatsa? [0] https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/14/founders-fund-leads-the-climate-corporations-colossal-50m-funding-round/ https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/14/founders-fund-leads-the-cl...
  - monodeldiablo 10y ago
    There's no relevant technology to transfer. Besides, I believe Monsanto are quietly winding down their acquisition. Does Climate even sell insurance anymore? Last I heard, they're just a glorified app development studio for Monsanto. $1.1B didn't buy them much West Coast street cred after all.
    - bootload 10y ago
      "There's no relevant technology to transfer." Did you read the article? The grain is grown in one of the harshest environments known a long way from markets. Any technology that allows farmers insight into their crops would benefit them, the supply chain and customers.
      - monodeldiablo 10y ago
        I worked there. I'll reiterate: there's no relevant technology to transfer. Monsanto quietly shut down Climate's product line.
        bootload 10y ago
        "I worked there." Hard to verify, but I'll take your word for it. Thanks for the inside comments.
- monodeldiablo 10y ago
  Not quite resting. He's something of a militant vegetarian, so he bought a huge chunk of the North American quinoa production and then launched this thing.

Tinyyy 10y ago

Actually he didn't exactly 'work for Monsanto', he founded WeatherBill/The Climate Corporation, which was acquired by Monsanto in 2013 (for 1.1Bn!). Presumably he was 'resting and vesting' until his exit in 2015.

bootload 10y ago
thx @Tinyyy, that throws this article [0] in a totally different light. Wonder if any of that technology is going to be x-ferred to Eatsa? [0] https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/14/founders-fund-leads-the-climate-corporations-colossal-50m-funding-round/ https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/14/founders-fund-leads-the-cl...
- monodeldiablo 10y ago
  There's no relevant technology to transfer. Besides, I believe Monsanto are quietly winding down their acquisition. Does Climate even sell insurance anymore? Last I heard, they're just a glorified app development studio for Monsanto. $1.1B didn't buy them much West Coast street cred after all.
  - bootload 10y ago
    "There's no relevant technology to transfer." Did you read the article? The grain is grown in one of the harshest environments known a long way from markets. Any technology that allows farmers insight into their crops would benefit them, the supply chain and customers.
    - monodeldiablo 10y ago
      I worked there. I'll reiterate: there's no relevant technology to transfer. Monsanto quietly shut down Climate's product line.
      - bootload 10y ago
        "I worked there." Hard to verify, but I'll take your word for it. Thanks for the inside comments.
monodeldiablo 10y ago
Not quite resting. He's something of a militant vegetarian, so he bought a huge chunk of the North American quinoa production and then launched this thing.