More than half of Canada's food supply is lost each year, according to estimates, with about $50 billion of the wasted food being avoidable. By fostering more solutions to food waste in Canadian society, it is hope it will improve food supply, save consumers and companies money, and reinforce the food systems while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
With that in mind, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food shared the 24 semi-finalists for Streams A and B of the $20 million Food Waste Reduction Challenge, an initiative under the Food Policy for Canada to accelerate and advance diverse and high-impact solutions to food waste.
The Challenge was initiated in November 2020 with the aim of accelerating and advancing a variety of high-impact food waste solutions in Canada. Streams A and B are concerned with business model strategies that can eliminate or redirect food waste at any point in the supply chain, from farm to plate.
The Challenge received 343 submissions from innovators from all over Canada and the world in its first round. Development, inventory management, transportation, food waste assessment, marketplace strategies, food preservation, food safety, food recovery, upcycling, and agricultural and organic waste treatment are among the topics covered by the 24 semi-finalists' submissions.
Each semi-finalist will win $100,000 and advance to the Challenge's market demonstration stage. Semi-finalists will pilot their ideas in Canada for the next eight months, undergoing intensive training, assessment, and reporting on their success. Then, for Streams A and B, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada can choose up to 12 finalists. Each finalist will win an additional $400,000, with a grand prize of up to $1.5 million awarded to one winner per stream.