Danone Institute North America recently awarded US$160,000 to five teams in the United States and Canada to help build more sustainable, local food systems.
The award is part of the Institute’s One Planet. One Health Initiative—a grant program that helps communities build more robust food systems. Each of the five winning teams will receive US$30,000 to develop, carry out, and evaluate their community-based project. They will also participate in trainings and workshops to support their work.
“The social and economic effects of the pandemic have magnified the fragility and inequity in our food systems, and the 2021 grantees are building community-based programs that can mitigate the impacts on vulnerable communities,” says Dr. Leslie Lytle, President of Danone Institute North America and adjunct professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
The grants will help to establish an inclusive, culturally competent food gardening system, assess a healthy food box delivery program, and more.
In addition to the grant, one of the five teams will receive US$10,000 for developing the strongest communications plan. The Danone Institute North America Board will evaluate the teams’ work and award the additional funding in Spring 2022.
Photo courtesy of Megan Thomas, Unsplash
