What is the Food Solutions Challenge?
The Food Solutions Challenge is designed to raise awareness and holistic thinking around issues stemming from food production and distribution. Participants will dream up a blueprint that will move us toward a carbon neutral food supply chain for a chance to incubate their ideas at a global food solutions conference. What are the benefits and prizes?
- $125 to host your event
- 200 gold status points for Net Impact chapters
- Representatives from the top six teams will attend an all-expense-paid global food solutions conference
- $5,000 grand prize and $1,000 to two runner-ups
- Recruit 30 attendees and enter into a raffle to win $250
All participants will enter into a raffle to win iPads, Beats headphones, cash prizes and more!
What is the time commitment?
Successful event hosts should look to commit 10-12 hours leading up to the event. The event itself will be approximately 90 minutes.
What are the expectations?
PRE-EVENT
- Secure a date and space for your event
- Attend a 101 webinar to help you get started
- Review the event toolkit
- Identify 1-2 facilitators for the event
- Recruit participants
THREE DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT : Send Net Impact your attendee list and we’ll send a reminder email to your guests on your behalf
FEBRUARY 1 – MARCH 22, 2017 : Host your event
TWO DAYS AFTER YOUR EVENT Send Net Impact your final attendee list and we’ll send a thank you note and survey to participants on your behalf
MARCH 22, 2017 : Submit your winning Food Solutions Challenge entry
APRIL : Global Food Solutions Conference
What is a facilitator’s role?
Facilitators will lead the event and support everyone to do their best thinking and practice. To do this, the facilitator encourages full participation, promotes mutual understanding and cultivates shared responsibility. The facilitator can be the event host, a team member or faculty.
What is the event format?
With the support of helpful “event-in-a-box” toolkits and funding from Net Impact, you will host an event where small groups follow a chosen food product through the food supply chain and come up with solutions to reduce the carbon impacts of food production.
Participants will learn about how and where carbon is produced and wasted in the food supply chain. Facilitators will then introduce case studies to help participants generate ideas on how to solve the Challenge question: How might we move toward a more carbon neutral and/or carbon positive food supply chain?
How will submissions be judged?
- Solutions should be 300 words or less and demonstrate the following:
- Impact. How is your solution reducing a major contributor to carbon emissions in your aspect of the food supply chain?
- Innovation. How is your solution a game-changer for the part of the food production process that you’re addressing?
- Viability. Could this be implemented in the next 5 years? Who will benefit the most? Who, if anyone, might be disadvantaged? Does the solution maintain the economic viability of food production for farmers, consumers, and others across the food supply chain? Does your solution maintain or increase the amount of food produced with available resources?
Questions? Email Kelly Chan at kchan@netimpact.org or check out the NetImpact FAQ Flyer about this challenge. The application for students can be found on their website: https://www.netimpact.org/food-solutions-challenge-2017
