ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mohammad Modarres - Social entrepreneur
Mohammad Modarres developed the first-ever Zabihah Halal and Glatt Kosher "Interfaith Meat" to make faith-based foods more accessible.

Why you should listen

As the founder of Abe's Eats, Mohammad Modarres is working to create a more inclusive and equitable food system for all. With past lives as the cofounder of a biotech company, award-winning political cartoonist and creative strategist for nonprofits and public companies alike, he's always sought to produce products and programs that break barriers and bring people together. Today, he uses the power of food to foster interfaith unity and inclusivity by making the growing need for faith-based (religious) Halal and Kosher foods more accessible and more inclusive.

A public health practitioner by training, Modarres entered the food world by accident when he produced the first two-in-one "Interfaith Meat" that is both (Zabihah) Halal and (Glatt) Kosher. The product was made for his "Shabbat Salaam" dinner, which was meant to bring friends together to foster community as a response to the rising wave of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim bigotry after the 2016 US election cycle. In just over a year, more than 1,000 attendees have participated in Shabbat Salaam, while Interfaith Meat helps early adopters save on time, money and inventory space and reduce food waste.

Through the TED Residency program, Modarres incubated Abe’s Eats, a food brand that offers Interfaith Meat and other food products. In his journey to produce Interfaith Meat, he has worked with food experts and religious leaders, given talks on regenerative agriculture and its impact on carbon soil and now promotes food production that benefits the local American rancher and farmer.

More profile about the speaker
Mohammad Modarres | Speaker | TED.com
TED Residency

Mohammad Modarres: Why you should shop at your local farmers market

Mohammad Modarres: Kwa nini unahitaji kufanya manunuzi katika soko la wakulima la eneo husika

Filmed:
1,346,911 views

Mkulima wa kawaida nchini Marekani anapata chini ya senti 15 kwa kila dola moja ya bidhaa utakayonunua katika maduka makubwa. Wanalisha jamii zetu, lakini mara nyingi wakulima hawawezi kumudu chakula kile kile walimacho. katika mazungumzo haya, mjasiriamali wa kijamii Mohammad Modarres anaonyesha jinsi ya kuifanya nguvu yako ya manunuzi ili kuokoa kilimo cha eneo husika kisianguke na kuubadilisha mfumo wa chakula kutoka chini kwenda juu.
- Social entrepreneur
Mohammad Modarres developed the first-ever Zabihah Halal and Glatt Kosher "Interfaith Meat" to make faith-based foods more accessible. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

imetimia kama miaka 10, toka mtikisiko
wa mwisho wa uchumi
00:13
It's been about a decademiaka kumi
sincetangu the last financialfedha crisismgogoro,
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3245
00:16
yetbado this industrysekta has never been biggerkubwa zaidi.
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lakini bado tasnia ni kubwa sana
00:19
LegislationSheria that was meantmaana yake
to better regulatekudhibiti its largestkubwa playerswachezaji
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Sheria ambazo zilipaswa kusimamia vema
mashirika makubwa.
00:23
has hurtkuumiza its smallerndogo oneswale,
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1561
yameishia kuumiza mashirika madogo,
00:24
resultingkusababisha in mostwengi of the industry'sviwanda assetsmali
to be controlledkudhibitiwa by the topjuu one percentasilimia.
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ikisababisha mali nyingi kudhibitiwa
na asilimia moja ya juu.
00:30
They'veWao wameweza becomekuwa too bigkubwa to failkushindwa.
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wamekuwa wakubwa sana kuanguka
00:33
I'm not referringakimaanisha to bigkubwa banksmabenki,
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Simaanishi benki kubwa,
00:35
but the worldulimwengu of BigKubwa AgricultureKilimo.
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lakini namaanisha ulimwengu
wa Kilimo Kikubwa.
00:39
As a publicumma healthafya practitionerdaktari
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Kama mtendaji wa afya ya jamii
00:40
who has workedkazi with
small-scalewadogo farmerswakulima in RwandaRwanda
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ambaye amefanya kazi na
wakulima wadogo Rwanda
00:43
and now as a smallndogo foodchakula businessbiashara ownermmiliki
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na sasa kama mmiliki wa
biashara ndogo ya chakula
00:46
who sitsanakaa at the intersectionushirikiano
betweenkati our consumerswatumiaji and producerswazalishaji,
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ambaye yuko kati ya walaji na wazalishaji
00:50
I've been exposedwazi to one of the mostwengi
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nimeonyeshwa moja kati ya
00:51
ecologicallymazingira and economicallykiuchumi
intensivekubwa industriesviwanda in the worldulimwengu,
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tasnia zinazotumia nguvu sana
kiuchumi na kiikolojia duniani,
00:55
and throughoutkote my work,
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na kupitia kazi yangu,
00:56
I've witnessedkushuhudia a chillingkuchia ironyironi.
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nimeona kitu cha ajabu,
00:59
Our farmerswakulima, who feedkulisha our communitiesjamii,
cannothaiwezi affordkununua the very foodsvyakula they growkukua.
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wakulima wetu, wanaolisha jamii zetu,
hawawezi kumudu chakula wanachokilima.
01:06
TodayLeo, a handfulwachache of corporationsmashirika
continueendelea to consolidatekuimarisha
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Leo, mashirika kadhaa yanaendelea kuungana
01:10
the entirenzima foodchakula supplyusambazaji chainmnyororo,
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mnyororo wote wa usambazaji chakula,
01:13
from the intellectualkiakili propertymali of seedsmbegu
to producekuzalisha and livestockmifugo
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kutoka katika hatimiliki ya mbegu na wanyama
01:16
all the way to the financialfedha institutionstaasisi
who lendmikopo to these farmerswakulima.
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mpaka mashirika ya kifedha yanayokopesha
wakulima hawa.
01:21
And the recenthivi karibuni resultsmatokeo have been
risingkupanda bankruptcieskufilisika for familyfamilia farmsmashamba
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matokeo yake yamekuwa ongezeko
la kufilisika kwa mashamba ya kifamilia
01:25
and little controlkudhibiti for those who are just
tryingkujaribu to survivekuishi in the industrysekta.
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na udhibiti kidogo kwa wale wanaotaka
kudumu katika tasnia hii.
01:30
Left uncheckedUnchecked, we will headkichwa
into anothermwingine economickiuchumi collapsekuanguka,
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Ikiachwa hivi, tutaenda katika
anguko jingine la kiuchumi,
01:35
one very similarsawa to
the farmshamba crisismgogoro of the 1980s,
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linalofanana na anguko la kilimo la miaka ya 1980
01:38
when commoditybidhaa marketsoko pricesbei crashedilipigwa,
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pale ambapo bei za mazao zilipoanguka
01:40
interesthamu ratesviwango doubledmara mbili,
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riba zilipoongezeka kwa mara mbili
01:42
and manywengi farmerswakulima lostpotea everything.
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wakulima wengi wakapoteza kila kitu.
01:45
FortunatelyKwa bahati nzuri, there's a very simplerahisi,
three-partsehemu tatu solutionsuluhisho
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Bahati nzuri,kuna ufumbuzi rahisi wa sehemu tatu
01:50
you can be partsehemu of right now
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unaweza sasa hivi kuwa sehemu ya
01:52
to help us transformkubadilisha our foodchakula industrysekta
from the bottomchini up.
30
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kusaidia kubadilisha tasnia ya
chakula kutoka chini kwenda juu
01:58
StepHatua one: shopDuka at
your localmitaa farmerswakulima marketsmasoko.
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Hatua ya kwanza: fanya manunuzi
katika masoko ya wakulima
02:03
BuyingKununua from your localmitaa marketsoko
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Kununua toka katika soko la eneo lako husika
02:04
and subscribingkujisajili to a community-supportedkuunga mkono jamii
agriculturalkilimo producekuzalisha boxsanduku,
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na mazao ya kilimo katika jamii yako.
02:09
better knowninayojulikana as a CSACSA,
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yajulikanayo kama CSA,
02:11
mayinaweza be the singlemoja greatestkubwa zaidi
purchasingununuzi decisionuamuzi you can make
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inaweza kuwa ni uamuzi bora
kabisa unaoweza kufanya
02:14
as a consumerwatumiaji todayleo.
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kama mlaji leo.
02:16
Last yearmwaka, AmericanMarekani farmerswakulima
madealifanya the leastangalau they have
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Mwaka jana, Wakulima wa Marekani
walipato kipato kidogo
02:19
in almostkaribu threetatu decadesmiongo,
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sana ndani ya miongo mitatu
02:21
because they now ownmwenyewe
fewerwachache partssehemu of the supplyusambazaji chainmnyororo
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kwa sababu sasa wanamiliki sehemu
kidogo sana ya mnyororo wa ugavi
02:24
than ever before.
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Kuliko wakati mwingine.
02:27
UnderChini ya exclusivekipekee contractsmikataba
with BigKubwa AgAG and bigkubwa boxsanduku storesmaduka,
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kupitia mikataba na mashirika na
maduka makubwa ya kilimo
02:30
farmerswakulima are not offeredinayotolewa
a fairhaki pricebei for theirwao goodsbidhaa.
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wakulima hawapati bei nzuri ya mazao yao.
02:34
In factukweli, the averagewastani farmermkulima in AmericaAmerika
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Kwa hakika, mkulima wa kawaida Marekani
02:37
makeshufanya lesschini than 15 centssenti of everykila dollardola
on a productbidhaa that you purchasekununua at a storekuhifadhi.
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anapata chini ya senti 15 kwa kila dola moja ya bidhaa unayonunua dukani.
02:44
On the other handmkono, farmerswakulima who sellkuuza
theirwao goodsbidhaa at a farmerswakulima marketsoko
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kwa pande mwingine, wakulima wanaouza
mazao yao kwenye masoko ya wakulima
02:48
take home closerkaribu to
90 centssenti of everykila dollardola.
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wanapata karibia senti 90 kwa kila dolla 1
02:52
But beyondzaidi takingkuchukua home a largerkubwa sharekushiriki,
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lakini zaidi ya kuchukua kiasi kikubwa,
02:55
farmerswakulima use marketsmasoko as an opportunitynafasi
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wakulima wanatumia masoko haya kama fursa
02:57
to cultivateKuza the nextijayo generationkizazi
of agriculturalistswakulima
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ya kujenga kizazi kijacho cha wakulima
03:00
who shepherdmchungaji our farmlandsfarmlikono
and our pasturesmalisho.
50
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watakaolinda mashamba na wanyama wetu.
03:03
In our fightkupigana againstdhidi climatehali ya hewa changemabadiliko,
we need them now more than ever
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katika kupambana na mabadiliko ya tabia nchi,
03:07
to promotekukuza and preservekuhifadhi diversetofauti landardhi use.
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kuhimiza na kudumisha matumizi
mbalimbali ya ardhi
03:10
When multigenerationalvizazi vingi farmsmashamba
are lostpotea to BigKubwa AgAG consolidationUimarishaji,
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Pale mashamba ya vizazi kadhaa
yanapochukuliwa na makampuni makubwa ya kilimo,
03:14
our communitiesjamii sufferkuteseka in countlessisitoshe waysnjia.
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jamii zetu zinapata shida kwa namna nyingi.
03:17
RuralVijijini AmericaAmerika has now jumpedakaruka abovehapo juu
the nationalkitaifa averagewastani in violentvurugu crimeuhalifu.
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Kiwango cha uhalifu wa kutumia nguvu
Marekani vijijini kimepanda kuzidi wastani wa kitaifa
03:23
ThreeTatu out fournne farmworkersfarmworkers surveyedutafiti
have been directlymoja kwa moja impactedsana
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wakulima watatu kati ya wanne waliohojiwa
wameathirika moja kwa moja
03:26
by our opioidopioid epidemicjanga.
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na mlipuko wa madawa ya kulevya
03:28
Now oftentimesmara nyingi disguisedkujificha as accidentsajali,
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mara nyingi ikifichwa kama ajali,
03:31
farmermkulima suicidekujiua is now on the risekupanda.
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kujiua kwa wakulima kunazidi kupanda
03:35
StepHatua two: shopDuka at
your localmitaa farmerswakulima marketsmasoko.
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Hatua ya pili: nunua katika masoko ya
wakulima katika eneo lako
03:40
(LaughterKicheko)
61
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(vicheko)
03:43
ProduceKuzalisha from a largekubwa retailrejareja storekuhifadhi
is harvestedkuvunwa before it's ripekuiva
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mazao kutoka maduka makubwa
yanavunwa kabla hayajaiva
03:47
to travelkusafiri more than a thousandelfu milesmaili
before it ultimatelyhatimaye sitsanakaa on your shelfRafu
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ili kusafiri zaidi ya maili elfu moja
kabla ya kufikishwa dukani
03:51
roughlykaribu two weekswiki laterbaadae.
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kama wiki mbili hivi baadae
03:53
AlternativelyVinginevyo, because
mostwengi farmerswakulima marketsmasoko
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mbadala wa hali hii, ni kwa kuwa
masoko mengi ya wakulima
03:55
have proximityukaribu and
productionuzalishaji requirementsmahitaji,
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yako karibu na maeneo ya uzalishaji,
03:58
farmerswakulima travelkusafiri lesschini than 50 milesmaili
to offerkutoa you localmitaa producekuzalisha
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wakulima wanasafiri chini maili 50
kukupatia mazao ya eneo husika
04:03
with minimalNdogo packagingufungaji wastetaka.
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bila uharibifu mwingi wa vifungashio
04:06
With the adventMajilio of onlineonline grocersgrocers
and trendingZinazovuma mealchakula kitsvifaa vya,
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kukiwa na ongezeko la wanunuzi mtandaoni
na vyakula vilivyoandaliwa kabla
04:11
consumerswatumiaji are increasinglyinazidi disconnectedimekataliwa
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wateja wanazidi kutohusiana
04:13
with theirwao farmerswakulima and the economicsuchumi
of foodchakula productionuzalishaji.
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na wakulima wao na uchumi wa
uzalishaji chakula
04:16
SinceTangu the risekupanda of
the smartphonesmartphone revolutionmapinduzi,
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Toka kuibuka kwa
mapinduzi ya simu janja
04:19
direct-to-consumer-kwa-walaji goodsbidhaa have stagnateduharibifu.
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huduma ya bidhaa moja kwa moja kwa mteja
imefifia
04:24
While localmitaa and sustainableendelevu foodsvyakula
have been trendingZinazovuma for almostkaribu a decademiaka kumi,
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Lakini vyakula vya eneo husika na endelevu
vimeshika chati kwa miaka karibia kumi,
04:29
termsmaneno like "healthyafya" and "naturalasili"
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maneno kama "ya kiafya" na "asilia"
04:31
have no legalkisheria frameworkmfumo
in the UnitedMuungano StatesMarekani.
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hayana mfumo wa kisheria nchini Marekani.
04:34
Your bestbora betbet for freshsafi,
nutrient-richyenye virutubishi foodsvyakula
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Unataka kubahatisha chakula kizuri chenye
virutubisho vingi
04:38
withoutbila the marketingmasoko jargonjargon?
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bila maneno ya wauzaji?
04:40
Go to your farmerswakulima marketsoko.
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Nenda kwenye soko lako la wakulima.
04:42
BuyingKununua localmitaa is not a newmpya ideawazo,
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Kununua vitu vya eneo husika sio wazo jipya,
04:45
but turningkugeuka it into a habittabia
in today'sleo worldulimwengu still is.
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lakini kufanya hilo kama tabia
katika dunia ya leo bado ni kitu kipya.
04:49
If we want to avoidkuepuka
the highjuu costsgharama of cheapnafuu foodchakula,
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kama tunataka kuondokana na
gharama kubwa ya chakula rahisi
04:53
protectkulinda our environmentmazingira,
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kulinda mazingira yetu,
04:54
rebuildkujenga tena our communitiesjamii
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kujenga upya jamii zetu.
04:57
and savesalama our farmerswakulima -- literallyhalisi --
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na kuwaokoa wakulima wetu --kwa hakika --
05:01
we're going to need to votekupiga kura
with our foodchakula purchasesununuzi.
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tunahitaji kupiga kura kwa manunuzi yetu
ya chakula.
05:05
The successmafanikio of our foodchakula systemsmifumo
is directlymoja kwa moja attachedimefungwa to us.
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Mafanikio ya mifumo yetu ya chakula
ina uhusiano wa moja kwa moja nasi.
05:09
If we want to breakkuvunja up BigKubwa Ag'sAG holdkushikilia
on our foodchakula supplyusambazaji chainmnyororo,
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Kama tunataka kuvunja kuhodhiwa kwa
mnyororo wa ugavi wa chakula na makampuni makubwa
05:14
then we're going to need
to connectkuungana with our farmerswakulima.
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tutahitaji kuwa na uhusiano na
wakulima wetu
05:17
We're going to need
to rebuildkujenga tena relationshipsmahusiano
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tutahitaji kujenga mahusiano
05:20
with the handsmikono that feedkulisha us
threetatu timesnyakati a day.
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na mikono inayotulisha mara tatu kwa siku.
05:24
PlusPlus, two more for snacksVitafunio.
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na mara mbili kwa ajili ya vitafunwa.
05:27
Come on.
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Inawezekana
05:30
With a governmentserikali onlineonline databasedatabase
of more than 8,600 farmerswakulima marketsmasoko
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Kukiwa na hifadhidata ya mtandaoni ya
serikali ya masoko ya wakulima zaidi ya 8,600
05:35
acrosskote the countrynchi,
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nchi nzima.
05:36
you can easilykwa urahisi find
the nearestkaribu one to you.
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unaweza kirahisi kupata
lililo karibu nawe.
05:39
Just think of yourselfwewe mwenyewe
as an investorMwekezaji in foodchakula,
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Jifikirie tu kama mwekezaji
katika chakula,
05:43
where your purchasingununuzi powernguvu helpshusaidia createkuunda
a more equitableusawa societyjamii for everyonekila mtu.
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ambapo nguvu yako ya manunuzi inasaidia
kutengeneza jamii yenye uwiano kwa kila mtu.
05:48
Oh!
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Oh!
05:49
AlmostKaribu forgotalisahau stephatua threetatu,
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Nilitaka kusahau hatua ya tatu,
05:52
whichambayo mayinaweza surprisemshangao you:
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ambayo inawez kukushangaza:
05:55
shopDuka at your localmitaa farmerswakulima marketsmasoko.
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nunua kwenye masoko ya wakulima wa eneo husika.
05:57
(LaughterKicheko)
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(Vicheko)
05:58
Thank you.
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Asante
06:00
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
Translated by Joachim Mangilima
Reviewed by Joyce Nyakale

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mohammad Modarres - Social entrepreneur
Mohammad Modarres developed the first-ever Zabihah Halal and Glatt Kosher "Interfaith Meat" to make faith-based foods more accessible.

Why you should listen

As the founder of Abe's Eats, Mohammad Modarres is working to create a more inclusive and equitable food system for all. With past lives as the cofounder of a biotech company, award-winning political cartoonist and creative strategist for nonprofits and public companies alike, he's always sought to produce products and programs that break barriers and bring people together. Today, he uses the power of food to foster interfaith unity and inclusivity by making the growing need for faith-based (religious) Halal and Kosher foods more accessible and more inclusive.

A public health practitioner by training, Modarres entered the food world by accident when he produced the first two-in-one "Interfaith Meat" that is both (Zabihah) Halal and (Glatt) Kosher. The product was made for his "Shabbat Salaam" dinner, which was meant to bring friends together to foster community as a response to the rising wave of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim bigotry after the 2016 US election cycle. In just over a year, more than 1,000 attendees have participated in Shabbat Salaam, while Interfaith Meat helps early adopters save on time, money and inventory space and reduce food waste.

Through the TED Residency program, Modarres incubated Abe’s Eats, a food brand that offers Interfaith Meat and other food products. In his journey to produce Interfaith Meat, he has worked with food experts and religious leaders, given talks on regenerative agriculture and its impact on carbon soil and now promotes food production that benefits the local American rancher and farmer.

More profile about the speaker
Mohammad Modarres | Speaker | TED.com