With a total of US$2 million in prize money and a global network of partners, the Food System Vision Prize is an invitation for organizations, companies, governments, and other entities around the world to develop inspirational, concrete Visions for the food system of the future.
The Prize, launched by The Rockefeller Foundation in partnership with SecondMuse and OpenIDEO, is driven by a central question: “How might we envision regenerative and nourishing food futures for 2050?”
To find answers, the Prize seeks systems-focused proposals that encourage people worldwide to take action and think collaboratively about the future. Submitted Visions should also reflect the Prize’s core beliefs that include diversity, resilience, equity, and the power of food to connect people.
“Our Prize asks Visionaries to consider technology, diet, environment, policy and governance, economics, and culture together,” according to Sara Farley, Managing Director of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Food Initiative. “It’s a totally holistic, systems approach to casting our minds toward the future.”
Visions can be submitted now through January 31, 2020. Up to 10 Top Visionaries will receive US$200,000 each, for a total prize value of US$2 million. After evaluation against six criteria (e.g., inspirational, transformational, community-informed), semifinalists will have the opportunity to refine their proposals before a top 10 group of finalists will be invited to participate in a three-month accelerator. The accelerator opportunity provides Visionaries with mentorship and support from communications experts, artists, data scientists, designers, and partner organizations who will help bring the finalists’ Visions to life and prepare them for the global stage. Proposals will also be featured online so visionary ideas can earn the widest possible audience and have a broader impact.
While the prize is open to organizations globally, applications submitted by teams of multiple organizations from across the food system—think a university paired with a city government or a start-up together with a research center joined by a group of chefs—will be prioritized.
“The Prize isn’t exclusively about the Visions that applicants submit,” according to Farley. “It’s about changing the global conversation. It’s about hope. And it’s about energizing and connecting a network of food systems thinkers, activists, and rebels looking to create the regenerative and nourishing food future we so desperately need.”
Food Tank will continue to feature applicants and big ideas from the Food System Vision Prize in the coming months. Read about the many ways to be involved in the Food System Vision Prize and sign up to receive email updates.
