Empowering the Future: IFT Awards HarvestPlus Zambia with 250k Seeding the Future Grand Prize
29 January 2024, Zambia: In a groundbreaking stride towards fostering innovation and sustainability in global food systems, the International Food Technologies (IFT) announced the winners of the Seeding The Future Grand Prize and Growth Grant for the Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge. With an annual allocation of USD 1 million, this initiative seeks to recognize and support transformative innovations that promise to reshape food systems for greater equity, safety, nutrition, and trust, all while embracing sustainable practices.
This year’s winners showcase a diverse range of cutting-edge solutions from various corners of the globe. Notable among the winners is IFPRI-HarvestPlus’ nutrient-dense porridges designed for schools in Zambia. These porridges utilize biofortified traditional food crops that are farmed and produced by women as additional contributions to the household income. IFPRI and HarvestPlus aim to uplift and equip vulnerable youth to grow into healthy, productive adults. HarvestPlus Zambia has been awarded USD 250,000 this year by IFT. Watch this video to know more about the school feeding intervention in Zambia.
Since its inception three years ago, the Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge has captivated the attention of over 2,400 teams. These teams, comprising scientists, engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and multidisciplinary groups from NGOs, non-profits, social enterprises, universities, research institutions, as well as small and emerging for-profit enterprises, have collectively submitted their game-changing innovations.
Reflecting on the challenge’s impact, Seeding The Future Foundation founder, Bernhard van Lengerich, PhD, emphasized, “When we created the annual Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge, our purpose was — and still is — to create a powerful, steadily growing pipeline of high-impact innovations that address the most pressing challenges food systems are facing globally. We encourage impactful innovations that help food systems to be more sustainable, resilient, and equitable, and lead to safe and nutritious food that is affordable, appealing, and trusted by the end user.”
The success of this year’s challenge stands as a testament to the dedication of over two decades, demonstrated by HarvestPlus to improving nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified staple food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals. HarvestPlus is providing global leadership on biofortification evidence and technology.
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