Food Waste Reduction Challenge: Novel Technologies
Together, We Can Reduce Food Waste, Fight Climate Change, and Strengthen Our Food Systems
Introduction
The results are in!
Transcript
[Rhythmic, upbeat music starts.]
[Assembly line workers pack boxes of tomatoes. Potatoes tumble down a ramp.]
Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau: Do you have an idea that can reduce food waste?
[Cookies are pushed down an assembly line. Glass bottles are filled on spinning racks. Foil-wrapped packages are brought up an automated ramp.]
Well, share your project…
[Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau addresses the camera from her kitchen. Text appears beneath her.]
Text on screen: The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
… to the Government of Canada Food Waste Reduction Challenge.
[People work on their computers from home.]
The most innovative concepts…
A woman in a mask presents an idea to a small audience. A woman presents a project while on a video call. A group of masked workers brainstorm together.]
… will compete for a chance to win up to $2 million in prize money.
[A woman working on her computer receives exciting news and cheers.]
We are looking for solutions that are high impact…
[Restaurant and factory workers use tablets to brainstorm. A factory worker watches piles of chips go by on an assembly line.]
… innovative and transformative…
[Factory workers operate with new technologies.]
… ready to scale up…
[A farmer and an engineer in a safety vest walk past rows of crops. Cut to shots of large farm fields from above.]
… good for our environment…
[Trucks harvest potatoes from fields. Cut to an aerial view of a suburban neighbourhood.]
… and beneficial to our communities.
[A tractor makes its way down a dirt field. Text appears next to it.]
Text on screen: The facts are clear
Facts are clear. In Canada, over half of our food supply goes to waste.
[An animation of half of a circle appears. More text appears next to it.]
Text on screen: Over ½ of our food supply is wasted.
And yet, one out of every seven Canadian households live with food insecurity.
[A graphic of a house pops up. More text appears next to it.]
Text on screen: 1/7 households live with food insecurity.
[A montage of Canadian truckers, farmers, scientists, and citizens smile at the camera. The last woman holds a Canadian flag.]
Canadians told us loud and clear that reducing food waste should be part of the first-ever Food Policy for Canada.
[Return to Minister Bibeau addressing the camera in her kitchen.]
[A paper slides over the screen. The Food Waste Reduction cycle graphic rolls out. Text appears beside it.]
Text on screen: Visit impact.canada.ca for more details
[The cycle graphic flips, revealing the graphic of an animated clock. Ticking sounds are heard. New text appears.]
[Cut to the Canada wordmark. The rhythmic, upbeat music fades out.]
Transcript
[Animated video.]
[Cinematic music starts with piano chords, acoustic guitar and drum. Gradual build throughout.]
Narrator: This is a call to all you innovators.
[A woman slides to the left side of the screen and raises a megaphone to her mouth. A large speech bubble slides in from the right.]
[Text is revealed letter by letter.]
Text on screen: Calling all innovators! Here’s your challenge...
Narrator: We need to reduce food waste in Canada.
[The woman slides out of frame and the speech bubble takes the full screen.]
[Fresh food falls from the top of the screen and tumbles off the large text.]
[The shot pans down from the large text where wasted food has accumulated all around a garbage bin. The bin tips over to the right and spills its contents into another pile of trash.]
[Sounds of crushed food and leaking juices.]
Narrator: A recent study shows that over half of all food in Canada is wasted.
[The shot pans out to the right where the pile of trash is revealed to be a large mound. Fresh and spoiled food is scattered throughout.]
[Text slides up from behind the mound of trash.]
[Sounds: seagulls.]
Text on screen: Over half of all food is wasted
Narrator: That’s over 50 billion dollars in avoidable food losses every year...
[The shot zooms out and even larger mountains of trash slide in from all sides to form a dump. Food and paper money are scattered throughout.]
[Text slides in from the left between the mountains of trash.]
[Sounds: squealing garbage trucks and large machinery.]
Text on screen: 50 Billion $
Narrator: … meaning tons of greenhouse gas emissions from food that rots in landfills.
[The shot zooms out and the mountains of trash get taller and further.]
[Gasses start billowing up from the landfill to form a large dark cloud.]
[Deformed words appear in the gas cloud.]
Text on screen: Plus tons of GHGs.
Narrator: The impacts are simply too big to ignore.
[The shot zooms in through the clouds and a column chart appears on graph paper.]
Text on screen: Impacts
[Three columns representing the impacts rise up and take on an imposing 3D perspective. They each have a large word on them.]
[Sounds: deap daunting rumble.]
Text on screen: Social. Economic. Environmental.
Narrator: We need solutions at points all along the cycle...
[The graph slides off the screen to the right. The Food Waste Reduction Cycle rolls into frame from the left revealing text. A magnifying glass leans in over the farm icon on the Food Waste Reduction Cycle.]
Text on screen: It’s time to take action...
Narrator: ... from farm to table.
[The Food Waste Reduction Cycle rolls to the left side of the screen hiding the previous text and revealing new words. A magnifying glass leans in over the fork and knife icon on the Food Waste Reduction Cycle.]
Text on screen: ... from farm to table
Narrator: This is a call to our keenest problem solving minds.
[The Food Waste Reduction Cycle rolls out of frame to the right hiding the previous text.]
[A small group of 7 people fades into frame. Gears and speech bubbles appear over their heads. The speech bubbles merge into one and text fades in.]
[Sounds: Small crowd of people discussing amongst themselves.]
Text on screen: We need solutions that are...
Narrator: Step up with your solutions!
[The shot pans up as three lightbulbs race out from behind the crowd and twirl upwards through more gears. They light up and slow down next to three words that come in from the top.]
[Sounds: lightbulbs flickering and buzzing.]
Text on screen: Innovative. High Impact. Transformative.
[The words and lightbulb slide out to the left. The Food Waste Reduction Cycle rolls back into frame from the right revealing two lines of text.]
Narrator: For more information, visit impact.canada.ca.
Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Visit impact.canada.ca.
[The Canada wordmark fades on screen.]
[The music ends. The screen goes black.]
Food Waste refers to all food that is grown, harvested, processed, manufactured or prepared for human consumption, but never eaten by people. It occurs at all stages of the food supply chain, from farm to plate.
In Canada and around the world, food waste continues to increase, resulting in an overuse of our natural resources such as water, soil and land, while contributing excess greenhouse gas emissions to our atmosphere. Meanwhile, a growing number of Canadians are facing food insecurity.
Over 50%
of all food in Canada is wasted every year
8%
of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions is caused by food waste
1 in 7
Canadians suffer from food insecurity
In response, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), under the Food Policy for Canada, is launching the $20M Food Waste Reduction Challenge.
By encouraging more solutions to food waste in Canada, we can increase food availability, save consumers and businesses money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthen our food systems.
The Challenge
1. Overview
Together, We Can Reduce Food Waste.
Globally, food waste accounts for 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, largely from edible food decomposing in landfills. In Canada, more than half of our food supply is wasted every year - that’s over 50 billion dollars in avoidable food waste.
Solving the problem of food waste is complex and needs a variety of solutions. That is why the Challenge includes four targeted innovation streams to accelerate and advance the deployment of diverse and high-impact solutions to food waste in Canada.
Solutions can focus on preventing or diverting food waste at any point from farm to plate and should aim to make a dramatic and measurable reduction in food waste. Challenge Streams A and B are closed for new applications. Challenge Streams A and B are closed for new applications. The application deadline was January 18, 2021. Challenge Streams C and D are now closed for new applications.
2. The Challenge Streams
Streams A and B
Challenge Streams A and B are closed for applications. They support solutions that are ready for commercialization and that provide an innovative way of doing business (i.e. a new business model) to prevent or divert food waste across any or multiple segments of the food supply chain. These streams target solutions in their early commercialization phase to accelerate their growth and expansion in the Canadian market. Successful solutions will have a high impact in reducing the volume of food waste in absolute (total volume of food saved) or relative terms (percentage of food saved).
Streams C and D
Challenge Streams C and D are closed for new applications. They support novel technologies at the prototyping or testing phase which extend the life of perishable food or which transform surplus food (or food by-products) that would otherwise be wasted into another product. These streams target technologies in their early development phase to accelerate their advancement and prospective deployment in the Canadian market. Successful solutions are advancing technologies to make them more effective, efficient, scalable, and competitive.
- Stream C focuses on technologies that extend the life of perishable foods by finding ways to slow the degradation of perishable food items and extend the length of time these food items may be stored before they become spoiled.
- Stream D focuses on technologies that transform food waste by converting surplus food, food by-products, or food waste into other products, including: food for humans, food for animals/insects (e.g. animal feed), or non-food products.
3. Challenge Statements for Streams C and D
In order to be eligible for the Food Waste Reduction Challenge, applicants’ solutions must leverage innovation to reduce food loss and waste as identified in the following Challenge statements:
Stream C: Technologies that Extend the Life of Food
Advance technologies that make perishable foods last longer; preserve food quality, safety, and nutritional value; and prevent food waste.
Stream D: Technologies that Transform Food Waste
Advance technologies that transform food waste, food by-products and/or surplus food into new foods or other products.
The field of innovation is vast under all streams. The above graphics represent a non-exhaustive list of examples that illustrate the breadth of the solutions space for Streams C and D.
Transcript
[Animated video on a paper-like background.]
[Rhythmic music starts with guitar chords and drums. Gradual build throughout.]
[A halved apple pops up in the middle of the screen and starts rotting rapidly.]
[Text slides in from the top.]
Text on screen: Instead of letting it rot...
[Suddenly, a rewinding graphic appears on the apple accompanied by a rewinding tape sound effect. The decaying apple spins around and starts reverting to its original state.]
[Text slides in at the top.]
Text on screen: Try to extend its shelf life!
[Spinning arrows appear below the apple as it becomes fresh again. Then, the sliced apple slides to the left side of the screen. An arrow points to four fresh apples that pop up on a shelf right next to it. A lightbulb appears next to the original apple and small check marks appear above the new apples.]
[Text slides in from all sides.]
Text on screen: What is your technology-based solution?
[The apples slide off screen. The Food Waste Reduction Cycle rolls into frame from the right revealing a few lines of text.]
Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Novel technologies streams are open for submissions.
[The Food Waste Reduction Cycle flips over on itself revealing a ticking stopwatch. The bottom text disappears revealing a new line.]
Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Deadline for submissions: August 31.
[The stopwatch flips over on itself revealing the Food Policy for Canada logo. The bottom text disappears revealing a new line.]
Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Visit impact.canada.ca.
[The Canada wordmark appears on screen.]
[The music ends. The screen goes black.]
Transcript
[Animated video on a paper-like background.]
[Rhythmic music starts with guitar chords and drums. Gradual build throughout.]
[A strawberry pops up in the middle of the screen and starts rotting rapidly.]
[Text slides in from the top.]
Text on screen: Instead of letting it rot...
[Suddenly, a rewinding graphic appears on the strawberry accompanied by a rewinding tape sound effect. The decaying strawberry spins around and starts reverting to its original state.]
[Text slides in at the top.]
Text on screen: Try to turn it into a value-added product!
[Spinning arrows appear below the strawberry as it becomes fresh again. Then, the strawberry slides to the left side of the screen. An arrow appears next to it and points towards four value added products: jam, fruit rolls, soap and strawberry powder. A lightbulb appears next to the strawberry and small check marks appear above the processed products.]
[Text slides in from all sides.]
Text on screen: What is your technology-based solution?
[The strawberry and processed products slide off screen. The Food Waste Reduction Cycle rolls into frame from the right revealing a few lines of text.]
Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Novel technologies streams are open for submissions.
[The Food Waste Reduction Cycle flips over on itself revealing a ticking stopwatch. The bottom text disappears revealing a new line.]
Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Deadline for submissions: August 31.
[The stopwatch flips over on itself revealing the Food Policy for Canada logo. The bottom text disappears revealing a new line.]
Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Visit impact.canada.ca.
[The Canada wordmark appears on screen.]
[The music ends. The screen goes black.]
4. Challenge Objectives & Assessment Criteria of Streams C and D
AAFC is calling on innovators to submit an application for solutions based on novel technologies that:
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Are measurably effective | They extend shelf life or productively transform food waste into a new item |
| 2. Are innovative and potentially transformative | Novel technologies that help open a new way forward |
| 3. Could be scaled up | There are many different ways the technology could be used (e.g., types of food covered, range of contexts) |
| 4. Have market potential | There is a demand for the technology |
| 5. Are financially sustainable | The solution will create economic and financial benefits |
| 6. Improve our environment | Reducing food waste means shrinking our greenhouse gas footprint and conserving natural resources |
| 7. Keep our food safe and nutritious | Solution supports access to safe, nutritious, and high-quality food |
5. Key Dates for Challenge Streams C and D
-
Stage 1 - Concept Application
Challenge Streams C and D are launched, and application intake is until August 31, 2021. Up to 18 Semi-Finalists with the most promising solutions across both streams will receive approximately $100,000 in late Fall 2021 and move on to Stage 2.
-
Stage 2 - Prototype
Beginning in late Fall / Winter 2021, Semi-Finalists will build or complete an existing prototype of their technology. Up to 6 Semi-Finalists with the most impressive results from Stage 2 will receive approximately $450,000 in Fall 2022 and will move on to become Stage 3 Finalists.
-
Stage 3 - Product Ready and Testing
Finalists at this stage will advance their prototype and test their technology in an operational environment with at least one implementation partner. Up to 2 Finalists with the most impressive results from Stage 3 will receive approximately $1,000,000 in Spring 2024 and become a Grand Prize Winner for the Food Waste Reduction Challenge – Streams C and D.
Note: The number of winners and prize amounts are approximations and may vary depending on the applications received. Please see the Applicant Guide for detailed instructions about applying to Challenge Streams C and D.
6. Eligible Applicants for Challenge Streams C and D
The Food Waste Reduction Challenge is open to commercial and non-commercial organizations and individuals registered to do business in Canada. Specifically you can apply if you are:
- A business and/or social enterprise of any size
- A not-for-profit and/or charitable organization
- An Indigenous organization and/or group
- A post-secondary/academic institution
- An Individual or group of individuals
International applicants with a Canadian partner or an ability to register to do business in Canada are encouraged to apply. Ideas and concepts can originate from anywhere globally, but to receive funding under the Challenge, the solutions presented in the submissions must be tested, piloted, demonstrated, and deployed in Canada.
The Applicant Guide for Streams C and D provides more details about the eligibility criteria for these streams.
7. Challenge Stream Selection Tool
Our interactive tool should help you identify which stream is the best fit for your solution.
Select your streamProcess & prizes
-
Stage 1 – Application Intake for Streams C and D
Summer 2021
Applicants with solutions based on novel technologies to extend the life of food or transform food waste are invited to apply to Streams C and D. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2021 at 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time. At this stage of the challenge, applicants are competing for approximately $100,000 in grant funding and the chance to become a Semi-Finalist entering Stage 2 of the competition.
-
Stage 2 – Up to 18 Semi-Finalists Will Develop Prototypes
Late Fall / Winter 2021
Up to 18 Semi-Finalists will be selected to participate in Stage 2 of the challenge. These Semi-Finalists will have eight months to build or complete an existing prototype of their technology. At this stage, Semi-Finalists are competing for approximately $450,000 and the chance to compete in Stage 3 of the competition.
-
Stage 3 – Up to 6 Finalists Will Demonstrate The Effectiveness of Their Solutions
Late Fall / Winter 2022
Up to 6 Finalists will be selected to participate in Stage 3. At this stage, Finalists have one year to advance their prototypes and test them in an operational environment with at least one implementation partner. They will also evaluate the effectiveness of their solutions by measuring and reporting against the assessment criteria.
Finalists at this stage are competing to become one of two Grand Prize Winners who will receive approximately $1,000,000 in grant funding. Other non-monetary benefits may also be offered to participants.
-
Grand Prize Winners Selected
Spring 2024
Two Grand Prize Winners will be selected from among the Finalists and announced in Spring 2024.
Note: The number of winners and prize amounts may vary. Please refer to the applicant guide for a more detailed description of the application process, prize amounts and challenge stages.
Reviewers
B. Pratyusha Chennupati
Chemical Engineer, Plant Scientist
and Regulatory Expert
-
Full bio
B. Pratyusha Chennupati is a chemical engineer from India, specializing in fermentation. She came to Canada in 2010 to pursue her master’s degree in plant science at McGill University. Since then, she has been a senior plant scientist and regulatory specialist for companies that design products to help farmers protect their crops from pests, insects and diseases. She is currently Regulatory Affairs Manager for Heliae, a food and agricultural technology company based in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2020, she was selected to join the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council, a consultative body to the Canadian government bringing young Canadians with diverse perspectives and expertise who are engaged and passionate about the future of the agri-food sector. She has also worked for Nufarm, Inocucor Technologies Inc. and with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ensure they have all the necessary research and information to determine safety and efficacy requirements.
Maria G. Corradini
Food Science Professor and
Arrell Chair in Food Quality
-
Full bio
Maria G. Corradini is an Associate Professor in Food Science and the Arrell Chair in Food Quality at the Arrell Food Institute (University of Guelph). During her career, she has focused on developing procedures and protocols to identify and assess changes in food quality and safety linked to processing and handling practices throughout the supply chain, from producer to consumer. She has also developed and validated mathematical models to evaluate and predict how food processing and handling practices can favor or act in detriment of food quality, safety, and nutritional content. Using a systems dynamics perspective, she has leveraged her expertise to participate as the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator in research projects that take an integrative view of food quality, safety and security conditions within communities in Argentina (City of Buenos Aires), China (City of Macau), and USA (Newark, NJ).
Michael Gänzle
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Food Microbiology and Probiotics
-
Full bio
Dr. Michael Gänzle is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Food Microbiology and Probiotics (Tier I) at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. He was educated in Food Engineering and Food Microbiology at the Universität Hohenheim, Oregon State University, and the Technische Universität München. His research aims to link microbial physiology and ecology to food quality and host health. His research interests include the development of novel non-thermal technologies for food preservation, aiming to understand mechanisms of bacterial resistance to pathogen intervention technologies, and the functional characterization of lactic acid bacteria for use as starter cultures or probiotics in food and agricultural applications. Dr. Gänzle serves as Associate Editor of “Frontiers in Microbiology” and is member of the editorial board of “Food Microbiology”, “Applied and Environmental Microbiology”, and the “International Journal of Food Microbiology”.
Shelley R. King
Founding CEO of
Natural Products Canada
-
Full bio
As founding CEO of Natural Products Canada (NPC), Shelley King has positioned Canada as a global trailblazer in the natural product sector. For 25 years, she has married her scientific background in academia with her in-depth knowledge of entrepreneurship and industry to help Canadian innovations go from bright idea to market-ready product. NPC has made connections with more than 800 organizations nationally, involved more than 600 companies in its development pipeline, and invested in 10 early stage enterprises. Shelley has also served as VP, Research and Business Development for Genome Atlantic; CEO of Synapse; and president of biotechnology start-up NovaLipids Inc. A sharp risk-taker, relationship broker, and bridge builder, Shelley holds an MSc in medicine and an MBA from Memorial University.
Maynard Kolskog
Certified Research Chef and
Culinary Instructor
-
Full bio
Maynard Kolskog has been a chef and culinary instructor for nearly forty years. He has been a culinary instructor at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) for the past twenty years. After developing curriculae and teaching molecular gastronomy, he became interested in applied research. He received his research chef certification from the Research Chef Association in March of 2017. Since then he has worked on several projects at NAIT’s Centre for Culinary Innovation, mostly featuring plant-based foods that range from ice cream, pasta, and baked goods to fermented oat cheese, oat miso, and meat analogues. Many of these projects are in partnership with the Alberta Pulse Growers, the University of Alberta, and Prairie Oat Growers Association, along with many private clients.
Ron Lemaire
President of the Canadian Produce
Marketing Association
-
Full bio
Ron Lemaire brings 27 years of experience from a not-for-profit association perspective, with a focus on vertically integrated supply chains, sustainability, government relations, advocacy, marketing, and public/private partnerships. As President of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), he has represented the needs and interests of over 800 Canadian and international member companies responsible for over 90% of the fresh fruit and vegetable sales in Canada. Working within the fresh produce world for over 19 years, Mr. Lemaire has become acquainted with the challenges and opportunities within the sector. In 2019, he launched the CPMA Plastic Packaging Working Group to address the use of plastics within the produce sector, and develop an industry-supported roadmap to ensure food quality and safety while reducing the environmental impact of plastics. He is also on the Board of the Canada Plastics Pac and a founding partner of the National Agri-Food Sustainability Index Steering Committee.
Chris Marinangeli
Nutritional Scientist
and Food Industry Regulatory Expert
-
Full bio
Chris Marinangeli is a scientist and food industry professional with over 10 years of experience across consumer packaged goods and the Canadian agriculture sector. He is experienced at leveraging human nutritional sciences to create new opportunities for differentiation and business growth. He is also a recognized expert in national and international food regulations. His expertise includes navigating technology, health sciences, and consumer insights and equity for developing strategies and tactics to meet business needs. Formerly Senior Director Research and Regulatory Affairs at Pulse Canada, he is currently Director of the Regulatory Centre of Excellence at Protein Industries Canada. Prior positions include that of Senior Manager of Nutritional Science and Regulatory Affairs at Kellogg Canada and board member for the Canadian Federation of Dietetic Research. He has a PhD in Food Science and Human Clinical Nutrition from the University of Manitoba and is an enthusiastic public speaker on food trends and industry opportunities within the pulse sector.
Shianne McKay
Senior Project Manager, Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources
-
Full bio
Shianne McKay is a Senior Project Manager at the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER). She is responsible for all stages in developing and delivering projects related to CIER’s thematic areas (Water, Climate Change and Energy, Traditional Knowledge, Biodiversity, Youth, Indigenous Food Sovereignty, and Sustainable Waste Management). She is also responsible for developing and maintaining collaborative initiatives and partnerships with Indigenous communities, government agencies, private sector companies, philanthropic and charitable organizations, non-profits and academic institutions. She has 14 years of experience in the Environmental Conservation Sciences field and 13 years working directly with First Nation communities. She is Ojibway and a member of the Pine Creek First Nation in Manitoba. She has a B.Sc. in Environmental and Conservation Sciences with a major in Conservation Biology from the University of Alberta. In 2013, Shianne received a certificate in Indigenous Women in Community Leadership from the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University.
Chelsea Meisner
Food Scientist
and Food Product Developer
-
Full bio
As a Food Scientist with over 12 years experience, Chelsea Meisner has experience in development, scale up, commercial production and stability of new food products. Over the years in her various jobs in North America, Chelsea has experience from concept to commercialization, manufacturing and quality control. Her product portfolio consists of working on value-added products, condiments, vegan cheese, energy drinks, coffee beverages, protein bars and dairy-free ice cream. Chelsea’s areas of speciality and current focus are beverage development, specifically craft alcoholic beverages and brewing, and cannabis edibles. She has developed several products that are on store shelves in the USA and Canada. Chelsea was also successful in creating a line of soft chew cannabis edibles for Cannabis 2.0 launch in December of 2019. Currently at Perennia Food and Agriculture in Nova Scotia, Chelsea is helping various clients throughout their product development journeys.
Barbara Miller
Food Industry Executive
and Consultant
-
Full bio
For more than 15 years, Barbara Miller has been CEO of a management consulting firm focused on strategy, business development and public-private sector collaboration. This has included start-up leadership roles with the Canadian Food Innovation Network as the Interim CEO, the Ontario Brain Institute and the Mental Health Commission of Canada and has provided strategic advice to organizations like the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Let’s Talk Science and Queen’s University. She is an experienced food industry professional having held positions as Division President of Ault Foods (Parmalat) and Category Director, Marketing with the Campbell Soup Company. She is also a former Deputy Minister with the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and served in the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs as Assistant Deputy Minister/Chief Administrative Officer and Director of the Food Industry Competitiveness Branch.
Mathieu Robert
Engineering Professor and Canada Research Chair in Polymer Eco-Composites
-
Full bio
Mathieu Robert has been an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) since 2012. Professor Robert is the Canada Research Chair on Polymer Eco-Composites (2016–) and is the Scientific Director of the Carrefour d’innovation en technologies écologiques (CITÉ) at UdeS. His expertise is based on using different agri-food biomasses to develop innovative bio-sourced materials for various fields of application (e.g. food packaging, transportation, building). Since 2016, Prof. Robert has trained nearly 40 graduate students who are currently working in research and development in the field of eco-materials, in addition to publishing more than 65 articles in international journals.
Dérick Rousseau
Food Science Professor
-
Full bio
Dérick Rousseau is a Professor of Food Science at Ryerson University. He runs the Food Research Laboratory at Ryerson University, focusing on developing foods and soft materials with improved physical and compositional properties. Lab research is based on the structuring of colloidal systems such as emulsions and gels using unique, innovative research approaches and access to world-class research tools. The results are processed foods with an extended shelf life, lower calories and less fat. Work undertaken in the laboratories has real-life applications, from lab to grocery shelves. Dérick acquired his PhD in lipid crystallization at the University of Guelph (1997), has published over 170 research articles, made over 280 presentations and acquired three patents in his field. He has collaborated with international industrial partners on processed foods, crude oil and personal care products.
Results
Minister MacAulay announces Food Waste Reduction Challenge winners
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced the two grand prize winners of the Novel Technologies Streams for the Food Waste Reduction Challenge, Clean Works Inc. and Genecis Bioindustries Inc.!
Clean Works is a St. Catharines-based company that, with support from the Challenge, developed a solution that uses hydrogen peroxide, ozone and UV to control mildew and micro-organism growth in pre-harvest (greenhouses, field crops, grapevines) fruit and vegetables. This solution allows the shelf life of produce to be increased by up to 20%, which Clean Works estimates to prevent nearly 50 tonnes of food waste annually for grapes and spinach alone in Canada.
Genecis Bioindustries is a Toronto-based company that, with support from the Challenge, developed a specialized bacteria that transforms food waste into compostable bioplastics. Over the last three years, the company has diverted over 2.1 tonnes of food waste from the landfill, allowing them to produce around 5,000 tonnes of environmentally-friendly bioplastic at their Toronto facility each year.
Clean Works and Genecis Bioindustries will each receive a grand prize of up to $1 million to help accelerate the advancement of their proprietary solutions and support their prospective deployment in the Canadian market.
By encouraging more solutions to food waste, we can increase food availability, save Canadians and businesses money, and strengthen our food systems, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Government will continue to support innovation in this area, to ensure that more of the high-quality products produced by our farmers and food processors reach Canadians.
Finalists
Organization |
Solution Description |
 |
ALT TEX Inc.Kitchener, Ontario Through its novel biomaterial fermentation technology, ALT TEX is creating biodegradable and carbon neutral textiles, re-engineered from food waste, with the aim of replacing polyester. Transcript[Upbeat music begins] [A red screen appears with animated bubbles in the colours black, bright blue, and purple. A stylized drawing of a manufacturing plant appears in the centre. White text appears over top.] [Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge] [Bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction, technology and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: 6 Finalists Competing for 1 of 2 Grand Prizes] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Meet one of our finalists…] [Myra Arshad talks to the camera.] Hi, my name is Myra, co-founder and CEO of ALT TEX, from Kitchener, Ontario. [Music becomes louder] [With a red background, illustrated lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions explode from the centre of the screen. The flying produce reveals the ALT TEX company name and logo in the centre of the screen.] [Text on screen: ALT TEX] [Upbeat music lowers] ALT TEX is a biotech start-up that has created a biodegradable… [An image of Myra and two colleagues stand and work in a lab.] …recyclable and carbon neutral alternative to polyester… [A close-up view of two workers, pointing and staring at a beaker filled with a brown substance, attached to a tall stand on the counter. A beaker filled with apple slices and a red apple sit on the counter next to the lab equipment.] ...recyclable and carbon neutral alternative to polyester that’s re-engineered from food waste. [Cut to a close-up and overhead view of decomposing food waste that covers the screen.] We’re taking the world’s largest landfill source – food... [A tractor pushes and piles a large dump of decomposing food waste. Cut to a close-up view of a hand pouring liquid into a sampler with a drawing of a red x in a circle appears over top of the image.] ...and rather than using petroleum to generate fabric, we’re using food to displace it as input. [A close-up view of the beaker filled with a brown substance in a tall stand-like equipment, surrounded by a beaker filled with apples, a beaker filled with a yellow liquid, and an apple sitting in front on the counter.] [Myra and a colleague are in a lab filled with equipment and they look at a laptop screen.] We have a fermentation process that re-engineers food waste into a polyester-like bioplastic... [A close-up view of a beaker filled with a pile of red apples. Cut to a close-up view of a beaker filled a substance being mixed. Cut to a close-up view of a test tube pouring out liquid into a beaker.] ...and that bioplastic is then designed to plug into polyesters existing manufacturing system, where we create textiles... [A close-up view of a beaker mixing a yellow substance and a close-up view of a piece of white fabric. Cut to an image of Myra talking.] ...that you and I can wear through some of our favourite fashion brands. The ALT TEX material brings you the best of both worlds between synthetics and natural fabrics. [A close-up view of two hands twisting and pulling apart a white piece of fabric.] So, when you're touching and feeling it, it'll give you the breathability of natural fabrics with a stretch and the durability of many synthetics. [A close-up view of liquid pouring out of a cylinder. A close-up view of a beaker spinning in a bowl of liquid. Cut to a close-up view of the liquid in the bottom of the cylinder.] The impact that ALT TEX can have on food waste reduction in Canada is of a very large scale. [A close-up view of a machine scanning laid out shirts.] With every shirt that we’re producing... [In reverse, apples and other compost fall out of a bucket into a large pile.] ...we divert about a kilogram of food waste away from landfill. My family and friends reacted in absolute shock, as you would, when you present them a piece of material and you say, hey, this has been generated from food waste, this is a bioplastic. This is not made from petroleum. So when my mom sewed our first shirt together... [Myra holds a large spool of white thread.] ...she was taking the fabric and she was handling it and she was stitching it... [A close-up view of two hands pulling apart a small piece of material.] ...and that’s when it actually became real to her that this thing we had been talking about... [A worker handles equipment in a lab.] ...the science that she had seen behind the scenes, actually had a tangible output that she was able to cut. [Myra and a colleague smile at the camera.] So, it was a very exciting moment. [Upbeat music becomes louder] [With a red background, bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction and tech and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: Waste isn’t waste until we waste it] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Follow us #foodwaste #cdnag @cdn_agriculture/@agriculture_can] [Upbeat music ends] [Text on screen: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada] [Government of Canada wordmark] [End] |
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Aruna Revolution Health Inc.Trois-Rivières, Québec Aruna’s sustainable compostable menstrual pads and tampons are developed from processed agricultural waste (vegetable and fruit fibres) in a circular bioeconomy model. Transcript[Upbeat music begins] [A red screen appears with animated bubbles in the colours black, bright blue, and purple. A stylized drawing of a manufacturing plant appears in the centre. White text appears over top.] [Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge] [Bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction, technology and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: 6 Finalists Competing for 1 of 2 Grand Prizes] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Meet one of our finalists…] [Rashmi Prakash talks to the camera.] Hi, my name is Rashmi Prakash. I’m the CEO of Aruna Revolution. We’re based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. [Music becomes louder] [With a red background, illustrated lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions explode from the centre of the screen. The flying produce reveals the Aruna Revolution company name and logo in the centre of the screen.] [Text on screen: Aruna Revolution] [Upbeat music lowers] I’ve seen people in my life, including my own mom, struggle... [A selfie of Rashmi and her mom holding corn stalks while standing in a crop field. Cut to an image of her mom posing in front of rows of crops in a field.] ...without having access to menstrual products. [A home video of Rashmi’s mom sitting and talking, while handling some material.] And so, I became very mission-driven towards creating a compostable menstrual pad that is affordable, that is inclusive. [A group of girls smile at the camera while they pose with a piece of equipment.] But I wanted to do so without causing additional harm to the environment. [Several pieces of white material are laid out on a desk, with a package of a hard honey like substance and a counting scale.] [A selfie of Rashmi and a friend as they sit at a large table in a library.] And so, we came up with this brilliant idea of utilizing food waste and... [A close-up view of leftover pieces from corn stalks such as an old pile of corn leaves. Cut to a close-up video of a person using a machine to extract fibres and starches from food waste.] ...extracting useful fibres, starches, and other materials from food waste... [A close-up video of a blender mixing a brown substance.] ...and taking that and transforming it into compostable menstrual products... [A close-up view of a person handling and folding materials and clothes.] ...that are then able to be returned to the earth, composted. And so, we bring in the food waste, um, and we first we clean it... [A close-up view of a conveyer belt.] ...and then we put it through our pre-processing, where we’re maximizing... [A close-up view of a white material going through the conveyer belt.] ...the mechanical processing to separate all the materials, specifically the fibres. [An overhead view of a bowl of corn leaf fibre. Cut to a montage of different fibres in the bowl, starting with cattail flower/fluff, corn stalk fibre, and corn husk fibre.] We’re then able to take that and combine them together, which is a process called conversion... [A close-up view of a person holding up a folded piece of material.] ...and turn them into menstrual products. What’s remaining then is the leakproof barrier layer. [A close-up view of a dropper squeezing out a blood like substance onto a laid out menstrual pad. Cut to an equipment piece which holds a tube full of red liquid.] And so, for that we utilize the starch and the oils from the food waste. [An overhead view of a laid out menstrual pads.] We’re looking to set up a micro manufacturing facility. [A close-up view of a hand pulling apart and opening menstrual pads.] With this facility, we’ll be able to make 20 million pads per month, which will allow us to divert... [An overhead view of a pile of food waste.] ...approximately a thousand tonnes of food waste per month. [A close-up view of an opened menstrual pad in a palm of a hand.] We are revolutionizing menstrual health with compostable menstrual pads. [Upbeat music becomes louder] [With a red background, bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction and tech and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: Waste isn’t waste until we waste it] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Follow us #foodwaste #cdnag @cdn_agriculture/@agriculture_can] [Upbeat music ends] [Text on screen: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada] [Government of Canada wordmark]
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Carbon Lock TechWinnipeg, Manitoba This solution converts food waste into a stable form of biocarbon that sequesters atmospheric CO2, prevents future landfill methane emissions, and supports sustainable agriculture. Transcript[Upbeat music begins] [A red screen appears with animated bubbles in the colours black, bright blue, and purple. A stylized drawing of a manufacturing plant appears in the centre. White text appears over top.] [Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge] [Bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction, technology and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: 6 Finalists Competing for 1 of 2 Grand Prizes] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Meet one of our finalists…] [Kevin Danner talks to the camera.] Kevin Danner: Hello, my name is Kevin Danner. I’m the CEO of Carbon Lock Tech. We are a Manitoba-based start-up company. [Music becomes louder] [With a red background, illustrated lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions explode from the centre of the screen. The flying produce reveals the Carbon Lock Tech company name and logo in the centre of the screen.] [Text on screen: Carbon Lock Tech] When we see food waste, we see carbon, carbon that the plants had pulled... [An on-screen diagram with labelled images showing the process of carbon and how the company eliminates waste.] ...out of the atmosphere and that we’re able to take and convert into a stable form of biocarbon. [A pile of charcoal material. Cut to two hands holding a dark mixture of soil.] It’s like a charcoal material. In this form, we can then add it to soils and concrete and asphalt... [Rows of concrete cylinders.] ...and we can sequester it away for hundreds, if not thousands of years. [Two scientists pose behind four small concrete cylinders positioned on the counter in a lab.] Our technology is something called pyrolysis. [A diagram with several labeled images shows the food waste carbonization process.] Keep the oxygen out and you thermally decompose the material... [Cut to industrial equipment, including a small conveyer belt, in a warehouse.] ...and the gases leave, the hydrogen leaves. [Cut to more industrial equipment.] Those two gases can be captured and they’re combusted for energy. Food waste is a major problem. [A close-up view of a truck filled with decomposing food waste.] Primarily because most of that waste ends up rotting. [A close-up view of moldy lemons and other moldy vegetables.] And when it rots, it turns into methane. It will go back up as methane unless we can intercept it. And that’s what the company does. We intercept the carbon... [A close-up view of a large cylinder-shaped equipment piece wrapped in a white material. Cut to three colleagues smile and pose for the camera while they stand behind a large machine.] ...we stabilize it, we lock it, and then we put it away for good. [A close-up view of nine labelled beakers on a counter in a lab. Cut to equipment on a counter.] [A man shovels compost out of a large green bin. Cut to an overhead view of the green bin filled with compost.] We take the food waste before it gets to the landfill... [Multiple green bins lined up on a black tarp.] ...before it has a chance to become methane... [An overhead view of a machine with an open chute attached, filled with decomposing food waste.] ...and we convert it into the stable biocarbon. [Three piles consisting of compost, soil, and charcoal.] If we start going up to one, two, three degrees... [Animated arrows pointing to three piles consisting of compost, soil, and charcoal.] ...I don't want to see that world. I don’t want to see that world for my kids or any kids. Plants pull down the carbon for free for us. [Kevin poses and smiles for the camera while standing behind a container filled with charcoal.] We just have to make sure it doesn’t go back up. And that’s easy enough to do. And then with the carbon we produce, use it in other industries. We can help everybody reduce their footprint. [Upbeat music becomes louder] [With a red background, bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction and tech and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: Waste isn’t waste until we waste it] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Follow us #foodwaste #cdnag @cdn_agriculture/@agriculture_can] [Upbeat music ends] [Text on screen: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada] [Government of Canada wordmark] |
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Chinova Bioworks Inc.Fredericton, New Brunswick Using the power of mushrooms, Chinova’s clean-label solution improves the quality, freshness and shelf-life of food and beverage products which promotes the reduction of food waste from farm to fork. Transcript[Upbeat music begins] [A red screen appears with animated bubbles in the colours black, bright blue, and purple. A stylized drawing of a manufacturing plant appears in the centre. White text appears over top.] [Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge] [Bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction, technology and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: 6 Finalists Competing for 1 of 2 Grand Prizes] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Meet one of our finalists…] [Natasha Dhayagude talks to the camera] Natasha Dhayagude: Hi, my name is Natasha Dhayagude and I’m the CEO and co-founder of Chinova Bioworks. We’re located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. [Music becomes louder] [With a red background, illustrated lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions explode from the centre of the screen. The flying produce reveals the Chinova Bioworks company name and logo in the centre of the screen.] [Text on screen: Chinova Bioworks] [Upbeat music lowers] We’ve developed a natural, clean-label preservative... [A close-up view of white button mushrooms.] ...upcycled from the stems of white button mushrooms... [Cut to three labelled images describing what Chiber improves.] ...to enhance the quality, freshness and shelf life of a variety of food and beverage products. [A close-up image of a bowl of yogurt and granola with peach slices on top. Natasha stands next to a colleague as they both work on a laptop.] My background is in biochemistry. [An image of white mushrooms.] Mushrooms were always something that we had been researching in the past... [On a counter, a pile of mushrooms sits next to two beakers filled with a liquid substance.] ...and we found that there’s this inherent quality in mushrooms... [A scientist dressed in PPE, slowly pours a yellow substance into a bowl that is sitting on a balance scale.] ...to actually improve the shelf life of products. When we came across this ingredient, we knew it would be a great fit... [Natasha and three colleagues talk in a group.] ...and we wanted to bring it to the market in an otherwise really traditional market that is used to using artificial conventional ingredients. [A scientist dressed in PPE, mixes a container filled with a white substance with a beaker filled with white mushrooms in front of them.] Working with these partners through the Challenge... [A close-up view of a dropper squeezing a substance in a container full of empty test tubes.] ...has really allowed us to validate the effectiveness of our product... [A montage of several scientists dressed in PPE, working in a lab and handling equipment.] ...and has helped us gain customer attraction across North America. [Natasha and three colleagues dressed in suits talk in a group with industrial equipment behind them.] So we’re already working with customers today that have incorporated our ingredient into their food and beverage brands. [Cut to a close-up view of rows of colorful designed beverage cans.] This includes a wide variety of food and beverage products... [A close-up view of a glass bottle filled with a raspberry-flavoured substance.] ...all the way from beverages, to diary, to plant-based dairy. [A bottle of milk being poured into a glass. Cut to an image of three white mushrooms.] So, our ingredient is already out there making a real food waste impact in Canada. And the big thing is also not impacting the taste or flavour profile... [A close-up view of a woman drinking out of a white mug.] ...that brands work so hard to perfect. [A slow-motion video of Natasha standing with a group of colleagues as she cuts a ribbon.] That’s really our aha moment where we decided, okay, we need to really bring this disruptor into the market. [Upbeat music becomes louder] [With a red background, bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction and tech and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: Waste isn’t waste until we waste it] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Follow us #foodwaste #cdnag @cdn_agriculture/@agriculture_can] [Upbeat music ends] [Text on screen: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada] [Government of Canada wordmark] |
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Clean Works Inc.St. Catharines, Ontario Using a combination of hydrogen peroxide, ozone and UV, this solution will be able to control mildew and micro-organism growth in pre-harvest (greenhouses, field crops, grapevines) fruit and vegetables. Transcript[Upbeat music begins] [A red screen appears with animated bubbles in the colours black, bright blue, and purple. A stylized drawing of a manufacturing plant appears in the centre. White text appears over top.] [Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge] [Bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction, technology and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: 6 Finalists Competing for 1 of 2 Grand Prizes] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Meet one of our finalists…] [Denise VanderVeen talks to the camera.] Hello, my name is Denise VanderVeen, Director of Business Development here at Clean Works, located in St. Catharines, Ontario. [Music becomes louder] [With a red background, several produce such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions explode from the centre of the screen. The flying produce reveals the Clean Works company name and logo in the centre of the screen.] [Text on screen: Clean Works] [Upbeat music lowers] We’ve created preharvest solutions to eliminate food waste right in the field… [A close-up view of a tractor driving through rows of crops.] …using a combination of hydrogen peroxide mist, ozone, and UV. [A close-up view of an equipment piece attached to a tractor. The attachment includes two bars grazing either side of a crop row. The inner sides of the bars contain racks that shines bright blue light towards the crops.] [Cut to the tractor driving in the dark through rows of crops with the UV blue light shining towards the crops.] Our technology can attach to common farming tools to control plant disease... [The tractor parked in a gravel driveway in front of a red barn.] ...powdery and downy mildew, as well as foodborne pathogens... [A farmer drives a tractor with a trailer attached, carrying equipment.] ...all while extending produce shelf life. It's simple to use, incredibly effective and with lower operating costs... [A large tractor with a Clean Works labelled equipment on the back drives away from the camera through a crop field.] ...than common synthetic fungicides. [A tractor drives along a row of crops with an equipment piece hovering against the crops. Cut to a close-up view of a hand holding a large green leaf.] Our solution actually physically attacks the diseases or pathogens. Therefore, the common issue of resistance building is no longer a problem. We also reduce the use of water and harmful chemicals... [A tractor drives over a row of crops.] ...going into our environment. And when compared to traditional fungicides, it’s much greener, more sustainable... [A close-up view of the tractor and the equipment attached.] ...and we also have the benefit of being OMRI listed as organic. Our solution impacts food waste reduction in three major ways. [A close-up view of the back of a tractor driving over a row of crops while spraying a mist onto the crops.] One is by protecting plants against disease. So, just looking at grapes and spinach... [A close-up view of a bed of lettuce being sprayed with mist coming from the tractor.] ...we could impact and reduce 56,000 tonnes of waste per year. [The camera slowly zooms out and shows more of the tractor as it drives over and sprays a mist onto the bed of crops.] [A close-up view of various produce stacked on some shelves.] We can increase product shelf life, which obviously will impact food waste at the consumer end. [The camera sits in the bottom of a grocery cart surrounded by produce and while sped up, shows the shopper walking and pushing the cart around the grocery store.] And we can also increase food safety. [A man picks up an item at the grocery store and puts in his shopping basket.] So, that will reduce recalls, which can equate to thousands... [Through a timelapse, a close-up view of a clear bag quickly empties out composing produce till the bag is empty.] ...if not millions of pounds of reduced produce wastage. There’s nothing else like this on the market. Our patented process is a more sustainable option... [An image of a tractor with built in equipment labelled ‘Clean Works’, parked over top a row of crops. Cut to a crop field, with a close-up view of a row of bedded crops.] ...with positive impacts on the environment... [A worker stands at a row of small trees and analyzes a piece of the crop that he is holding.] ...while also reducing overall operating costs for farmers. [Upbeat music becomes louder] [With a red background, bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction and tech and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: Waste isn’t waste until we waste it] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Follow us #foodwaste #cdnag @cdn_agriculture/@agriculture_can] [Upbeat music ends] [Text on screen: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada] [Government of Canada wordmark] |
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Genecis Bioindustries Inc.Scarborough, Ontario Genecis engineers specialized bacteria to transform food waste into compostable bioplastics. Transcript[Upbeat music begins] [A red screen appears with animated bubbles in the colours black, bright blue, and purple. A stylized drawing of a manufacturing plant appears in the centre. White text appears over top.] [Text on screen: Food Waste Reduction Challenge] [Bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction, technology and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: 6 Finalists Competing for 1 of 2 Grand Prizes] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Meet one of our finalists…] [Luna Yu talks to the camera.] Luna Yu: Hi everyone, I’m Luna Yu, CEO of Genecis Bio and we’re based in Toronto, Canada. [Music becomes louder] [With a red background, illustrated lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions explode from the centre of the screen. The flying produce reveals the Genecis company name and logo in the centre of the screen.] [Text on screen: Genecis] [Upbeat music lowers] At Genecis, we make sustainable materials from organic waste... [A close-up view of a large glass cylinder mixing a liquid substance. The camera zooms out and reveals another cylinder full of liquid next to it.] ...starting with marine biodegradable plastics... [A stainless-steel table pan filled with white powder.] ...that can replace up to 60% of plastic applications, [Dozens of white plastic balls fall. Cut to the floor covered with white plastic balls.] ...from sunglasses to textiles to grocery bags. So, we believe the impact of our solution on food waste reduction in Canada can be really tremendous. [A large industrial container labelled ‘Food Waste’ parked on a forklift in a warehouse with other industrial equipment.] [A montage reveals a laboratory room.] Currently, we have already converted 12,000 pounds of food waste into PHAs. [Cut to a computer monitor displaying four laboratory images of bacteria cells.] So, the interesting thing about PHAs is that it’s literally the fat of bacteria... [A close-up view of bacteria cells.] ...which means that when it goes into nature... [A group of scientists dressed in PPE, surround a monitor screen and a microscope in a lab.] ...it can get eaten up by microbes as well as animals really quickly. [A close-up view of an on-screen diagram with three circle shaped images. The camera zooms in on an image of a crushed lollipop with a label that states ‘Collect - We collect some of the 1,400,000,000 tons (!!!) of wasted food that otherwise ends up in landfills.’] And that’s how it breaks down. [The camera zooms in on the second image, showcasing colourful bubbles grouped together. The image is labelled ‘Transform - With the help of some awesome little mircoorganisms we convert that food waste into earth-friendly bio-plastic (a.k.a. PHA).’] And the benefit of using PHAs to make things like sunglasses or textiles is that at the end of life... [The camera zooms in on the third image, showcasing a piece of product covered with reflective colours, labelled ‘Make - We create beautifully crafted, guilt-free products that are good for nature wherever they end up.’] ...it can basically return back to nature and does not cause any additional methane emissions. Our journey began in 2017 with very limited funds... [On a counter, DIY bioreactors made out of rice cookers sit in a row covered with wires.] ...so we resorted to making DIY bioreactors out of rice cookers. It’s where we made our first very, very small flakes of PHAs. It was literally just like less than a gram, but it basically proved the basic concept that you can do that with the carbons from food waste. And that was, um, a one day to remember for sure. So, I think our solution is a game changer because it... [Inside a warehouse, a large cylindrical tank sits in the middle of the floor. Cut to a close-up view of the top of a cylinder tank with multiple valves.] ...addresses two major problems really at once: food waste and plastic pollution. [An overhead view of the inside of a warehouse with a large standing cylinder tank. Cut to two industrial containers labelled ‘Food Waste’ with more equipment in the background.] [A group of five workers smile and give a thumbs-up to the camera, while they wear reflective vests and hard hats.] And we really think that the world’s been hungry for the adoption of circular solutions for the last many years. [An inside view of a warehouse with a water storage tank, cylinder tank, and more equipment.] And we really hope that we can help to accelerate this transition. [Upbeat music becomes louder] [With a red background, bright blue animated symbols related to food waste reduction and tech and innovation border the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the centre.] [Text on screen: Waste isn’t waste until we waste it] [The animated blue and white symbols appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. White and dark blue on-screen text appears in the top right corner.] [Text on screen: Follow us #foodwaste #cdnag @cdn_agriculture/@agriculture_can] [Upbeat music ends] [Text on screen: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada] [Government of Canada wordmark] |
Semi-Finalists
ALT TEX Inc.
Brampton, Ontario
Through its novel biomaterial fermentation technology, ALT TEX is creating biodegradable and carbon neutral textiles, re-engineered from food waste, with the aim of replacing polyester.
Learn more
Aruna Revolution Health Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Aruna’s sustainable compostable menstrual pads and tampons are developed from processed agricultural waste (vegetable and fruit fibres) in a circular bioeconomy model.
Learn more
Biopolynet Inc.
Fredericton, New Brunswick
This project’s innovative BioNanoCoil technology utilizes fish processing waste to produce lobster and crab bait.
Learn more
Carbon Lock Tech
Winnipeg, Manitoba
This solution converts food waste into a stable form of biocarbon that sequesters atmospheric CO2, prevents future landfill methane emissions, and supports sustainable agriculture.
Learn more
Chinova Bioworks Inc.
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Using the power of mushrooms, Chinova’s clean-label solution improves the quality, freshness and shelf-life of food and beverage products which promotes the reduction of food waste from farm to fork.
Learn more
Clean Works Inc.
St. Catharines, Ontario
Using a combination of hydrogen peroxide, ozone and UV, this solution will be able to control mildew and micro-organism growth in pre-harvest (greenhouses, field crops, grapevines) fruit and vegetables.
Learn more
Climacteric Control Solutions Inc.
Edmonton, Alberta
A novel series of ethylene-selective catalysts have been developed that can continuously remove trace amounts ethylene from refrigerated, humid air.
Learn more
CLIMICALS
Montréal, Quebec
Local and circular valorization of sugars contained in food waste by converting them into key molecules of green chemistry to produce various biosourced plastics, among other things.
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Dispersa Inc.
Laval, Quebec
By leveraging a waste-to-value production process, this solution harnesses the power of microbes to deliver natural and affordable biosurfactants derived from agro-alimentary waste.
Learn more
Genecis Bioindustries Inc.
Scarborough, Ontario
Genecis engineers specialized bacteria to transform food waste into compostable bioplastics.
Learn more
Université Laval
Québec, Quebec
A breakthrough invention to transform the entire by-products of dairy industries into innovative and high value-added food products by combining nutritious, natural ingredients and green technologies.
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Membertou Development Corporation
Membertou, Nova Scotia
This project proposes to build capacity of Nova Scotia’s grey seal industry by expanding a pilot harvest, exploring full utilization of harvested biomass, processing facilities and market opportunity.
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Peak Harvest Agritech Ltd.
Toronto, Ontario
FreshXtend is a patented liquid formulation that is applied to crops by growers, and is proven to naturally slow the ripening process of fruits and vegetables.
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Terra Bioplastics Inc.
Elmira, Ontario
Protina is a grain protein derived from Brewers Spent Grain that can have an outsize contribution to human nutrition.
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University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
The project's technology converts food waste into an advanced energy saving material that can trap the heat escaping a home or building and release it when needed, generating savings in heating and cooling.
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University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, Alberta
This project evaluates the utility of commercially available silage inoculants in ensiling and extending the shelf-life of retail food waste and food processing byproducts for animal feed.
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WaterPuris Inc.
Cambridge, Ontario
This solution is an efficient aeration system that produces nano-sized gas bubbles that remain stable and help prevent food waste throughout the food supply chain.
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Crush Dynamics Inc.
Summerland, British Columbia
Crush Dynamics is developing a patent-pending biomechanical process to upcycle food waste from winemaking and other agriculture side streams into healthy, high performance food ingredients.
Learn moreStay connected
Use the hashtag #FoodWaste to join the conversation and get the latest updates on the Food Waste Reduction Challenge. You can also email us at aafc.fwrc-drga.aac@agr.gc.ca your questions and we will get back to you within two business days.
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Telephone
Telephone (in Canada): 1-877-246-4682
Telephone (outside Canada)
1-204-926-9650; TDD/TTY: 613-773-2600
Challenge details: Streams C and D
Who can apply
- Businesses and social enterprises of any size
- Not-for-profit and charitable organizations
- Indigenous organizations and groups
- Post-secondary/academic institutions
- Individuals or group of individuals
International applicants with a Canadian partner or an ability to register to do business in Canada are encouraged to apply.
Key dates
- August 31, 2021
Stage 1 - Concept application deadline - Late Fall / Winter 2021
Up to 18 semi-finalists announced - Late Fall / Winter 2022
Stage 2 - Up to 6 finalists announced - Spring 2024
Stage 3 - 2 Grand Prize Winners announced
Prizes
- $100,000
Up to 18 semi-finalists will be selected in Stage 1 and will receive approximately $100,000. - $450,000
Semi-finalists will move into Stage 2 and compete for a chance to be a finalists and receive approximately $450,000. - $1,000,000
Finalists will compete in Stage 3 to win one of two Grand Prizes of up to $1,000,000.
Media
Last modified: 2025-01-26