The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the food system, and the Seeding The Future Foundation announced the return of the annual Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge.
The annual Challenge invites scientists, engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and multidisciplinary teams from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profits, social enterprises, universities, research institutions as well as small and emerging startups to submit their game-changing innovations that will help transform the global food system.
Who were last year’s winners of the Challenge?
Now in its third year, the Challenge will once again award $1 million in grants and prizes via Seed Grants ($25,000 each), Growth Grants ($100,000 each), and Seeding The Future Grand Prizes ($250,000 each). Last year’s Growth Grant and Grand Prize winners included:
- Commercializing black soldier fly larvae as chicken feed to enhance egg nutrition and lower the cost of eggs in Rwanda. (Food Systems for the Future)
- Eliminating dangerous aflatoxins from smallholder supply chains starting with peanuts in Haiti. (Acceso)
- Accelerating the deployment of aquaponics that combine soilless crop production and fish farming to increase global food production in the face of climate change. (INMED Partnerships for Children)
- Community-led solar powered cold storage program to enable access to improved agricultural techniques and practices in rural developments. (Smart Villages Resource Group)
- Leveraging the US Postal Service to bring fresh produce from farms to front doors. (World Wildlife Fund)
What does this mean for the global food community?
“The Global Food System Challenge is meant to be a call to action to the global food community. More than 840 million people suffer from chronic hunger, severe undernutrition, and extreme poverty while more than 30% of food is wasted globally every year,” commented Bernhard van Lengerich, Founder of Seeding The Future Foundation.
“Climate change, conflicts and poverty prevent equitable access to safe and nutritious food for many populations in both developed and developing regions. We urgently need impactful and transformative innovations that will lead to a sustainable food system and enable access of healthy, affordable, and appealing food that consumers trust,” Bernhard further added.
Commenting on the initiative, IFT Chief Executive Officer Christie Tarantino-Dean, said,“The Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge mirrors IFT’s mission and commitment to addressing food insecurity and ensuring a healthy future for our global food supply.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering once again with Bernhard and the Seeding The Future Foundation on one of the most important showcases of food innovation and ingenuity.”
While submissions open on June 1 and close August 1, interested participants can review guidelines here. Since 2021, over 1,500 submissions from 75 countries have been received from multidisciplinary teams from academic and research institutions, non-profits, and startups. The Challenge is funded by the Seeding The Future Foundation and hosted by IFT.
For more, visit the website. Applicants that need additional support should review FAQs.
