Calling for entries: General Mills launches second Feeding Better Futures Scholars Program
Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food – about a third that is produced – is wasted, however, today, almost a billion people struggle with hunger. Food production will also need to increase by 70% to feed the world’s projected nine billion population by 2050.
The world desperately needs solutions.
2018 finalists
Katie Stagliano (Grand Prize Winner) started Katie’s Krops a decade ago with the mission to empower youth to grow vegetable gardens and donate the harvest to help feed people in need. Today there are more than 100 Katie’s Krops gardens growing across the country.
Jack Griffin developed an app called FoodFinder that connects families with local food pantries. To date, the app has cataloged over 25,000 food pantries in all 50 states.
Joy Youwakim created a solution to use vacant landfill space to grow produce.
Kate Indreland devised new processes to restore important nutrients back to the soil.
Braeden Mannering created 3B Brae’s Brown Bags, which helps the homeless and low-income populations get access to food and clean water through brown bag donations. 3B Brae’s Brown Bags has over 3,600 volunteers across the country.
“Feeding future generations sustainably is a complicated problem and we recognize the need to find solutions now,” said Jeff Harmening, chairman and CEO, General Mills.
“As a global food leader for over 150 years, we’re proud of our efforts to alleviate hunger and promote environmentally responsible practices across our supply chain, but we can’t solve these issues alone.”
Commitments
General Mills has been active in hunger relief, soil health and sustainable agriculture for many years.
The company partnered with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to restore and protect pollinator habitat across hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland in North America.
General Mills now sources 75% of its top 10 priority ingredients from sustainable sources. The most significant process has been made toward palm oil (100%), fiber packaging (99%) and wheat, oats and corn (all above 60%).
The Cheerios, Pillsbury and Nature Valley maker serves as a founding partner of Feeding America, the Global Foodbanking Network and Partners in Food Solutions, enabling more than 201 million meals through food donations globally since 2010.
It has also partnered with MealConnect to recover and distribute more than 575 million pounds of surplus food in partnership with 90 food banks, facilitate more than 1.2 million food pickups and support more than 4,200 nonprofit hunger relief organizations since 2014.
To enter
The food giant is calling on young people between the ages of 13 and 21 across North America to submit a short video or photos of the solutions they’re currently leading in their communities.
The grand prize winner will receive $50,000 to further his or her idea, and receive industry mentorship and exposure at the prestigious Aspen Ideas Festival.
For official rules or to enter in-action solutions, visit www.FeedingBetterFutures.com.
Deadline for entry is February 26, 2019.
