Competition invites students and startups to develop and pitch groundbreaking solutions aimed at tackling food waste
Temperature-controlled warehouse REIT Lineage has announced the launch of its Food Chain Innovation Challenge initiative.
The global competition invites students and startups to develop and pitch groundbreaking solutions aimed at tackling one of the world’s most pressing issues, food waste, particularly postharvest losses.
The challenge takes place at three major events across the globe: London on 14 November; Amsterdam on 19 November; and San Francisco, also on 19 November.
Lineage called on participants to present their innovative solutions that could empower different regions of the world – from mature to emerging and developing markets – to mitigate postharvest food spoilage through affordable and scalable methods, thereby enhancing food security, quality, safety, and market access.
Winners from each regional event will win a cash prize. Additionally, an overall winner will be selected from the regional winners and announced in December.
The grand prize winner will receive entry into an incubator programme tailored to help them further refine their business development skills and scale their solution effectively.
At the events, participants will be asked to pitch their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges, concentrating their efforts in one of four specific areas – reducing food waste, innovative food preservation techniques, access to nutritious food, and data-driven insights and analytics.
“According to the UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index Report 2024, the latest data from 2022, shows 1.05bn tonnes of food went to waste — an amount sufficient to nourish billions,” said Greg Lehmkuhl, president and CEO of Lineage.
”This reality is stark, especially considering that over 783m individuals globally suffer from undernourishment. By reducing food waste, we can significantly enhance global food security and address hunger.
”At Lineage, we are dedicated to spearheading innovation across the global food supply chain,” he noted. ”Through our Food Chain Innovation Challenge, we are seeking to cultivate solutions that not only tackle food waste but also advance sustainable development.
”We are eager to witness the emergence of these new ideas and their evolution into practical, impactful strategies.”
