On April 20, 2017, the top 6 team finalists of our first ever “Foods Solution Challenge” arrived on campus at the University of Wisconsin in Madison to pitch their ideas in front of industry experts for a chance to win $5,000.

Finalists were selected based on the solution their local event developed for how might we move toward a carbon neutral or carbon positive food supply chain. Finalists represented campuses and cities across the world, including:

• Appalachian State University Undergraduate Net Impact chapter
• California College of the Arts Graduate Net Impact chapter
• District of Columbia Professional Net Impact chapter
• McGill University
• Texas State University Undergraduate Net Impact chapter
• University of California, Berkeley

Click on each school to view their video submission.  

The winning idea, “Foodle” presented by California College of the Arts Graduate Net Impact chapter, tackled the challenges faced by consumers with food waste at home. By implementing an RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) reader inside your refrigerator, you can track and be informed of expiring products before they go bad via a smartphone app. The team estimates that implementing this existing technology can save users $400/year, reduce total methane emissions by 6%, and stimulate a shift toward a more efficient food supply chain.

Second place honors were awarded to the DC Professional chapter for their idea “Oscar” which also tackled consumer food waste and Appalachian State University for their idea “Fueling the [tortilla] Chip Industry” which converts cooking oils into biofuel to be used during transportation. The award for “Fan Favorite” went to McGill University for their idea “Myco-Rise,” a peri-urban mushroom product that provides a healthy and environmentally friendly meat alternative.

Congratulations to all of our chapters who participated in this insightful and impactful event series.