Each year, the Thought for Food Foundation challenges students to rethink the food system. One of the ideas to make the final round this year is Team Foodisclosure with Henlight, a product that promises to improve small-scale egg production.
Each of the team member’s backgrounds feeds uniquely into this idea. Emily Sin holds a degree in avian sciences. complemented by her life experience – she lived at a poultry production facility during her undergraduate education. Edward Silva grew up on a family farm and experienced first-hand the seasonal variation and instability of farm income. The third team member, Lorena Galvan, has experience working on social health and rural development. They also teamed up with lighting experts at the University of California: Davis Program for International Energy Technologies to develop the technology.
“Chickens are a relatively affordable source of animal protein – they are versatile, have low maintenance costs, and broad cultural acceptance. Not to mention, they are much easier to manage than larger livestock,” explains Sin. “We believe Henlight has the potential to quickly increase incomes and access to nutrition for farmers and their families [on a] more consistent [basis]. The main reaction we have drawn is a ‘wow’ factor. People are surprised by the simplicity behind Henlight’s concept and its potential for a larger, global-scale impact.”
