Minister Bibeau announces Food Waste Reduction Challenge finalists for the Novel Technologies Streams

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 16, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced the six finalists of the Novel Technologies Streams for the Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Minister Bibeau met virtually with the finalists and learned more about their promising solutions to reduce food waste.

The finalists are:

•  ALT TEX Inc. (Kitchener, Ontario);
•  Aruna Revolution Health Inc. (Trois-Rivières, Québec);
•  Chinova Bioworks Inc. (Fredericton, New Brunswick);
•  Clean Works Inc. (St. Catharines, Ontario);
•  Carbon Lock Tech (Winnipeg, Manitoba); and
•  Genecis Bioindustries Inc. (Scarborough, Ontario).

In January 2022, 18 semi-finalists each received $100,000 to build a prototype of their innovative technology. After presenting the most promising ideas to an External Review Committee, the six finalists will now receive up to $450,000 each to test their technology in an operational environment with at least one partner. They are competing to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1 million.

With $20 million in funding, the Challenge, launched in November 2020 by the Government of Canada, aims to deliver high-impact solutions to food waste in Canada and accelerate their rollout. The Challenge is divided into four streams within two groups.

The Novel Technologies Streams, for which we are announcing the finalists today, focus on developing technological solutions to food waste. These solutions serve to extend the life of perishable food, or transform food waste into new products or value-added products.

In total, 238 applications were received from innovators across Canada and around the world.

These six finalists are Canadian commercial organizations with diverse and innovative technologies that can, for example, be used to prevent spoilage of pre-harvest crops, extend the shelf life of food, and transform food waste into compostable bioplastics.

The Food Waste Reduction Challenge was launched as part of the first-ever Food Policy for Canada, which serves as a roadmap for healthier, more innovative and sustainable food systems. With new solutions to reduce food waste, the Government of Canada aims to increase food availability, save consumers and businesses money, increase farmers' revenue and strengthen our food systems, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Quote

"Every year, Canada wastes more than half of its food supply. The six finalists of the Food Waste Reduction Challenge - Novel Technologies Streams are proposing original solutions to this problem. I wish them good luck as they test their prototypes in an operational environment." 
        -  The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Quick Facts

• The Food Waste Reduction Challenge's Novel Technologies Streams entries were evaluated against established criteria, including potential volume of food waste reduction, level of innovation and scalability as well as environmental, social and economic benefits.
•  An External Review Committee, composed of subject matter experts from a diverse range of backgrounds, plays an important role in reviewing solutions and recommending winners at each stage of the Challenge. 
• Under the Food Waste Reduction Challenge's Business Models Streams, 12 finalists were selected in June 2022. Each finalist received up to $400,000 and moved on to compete in the final stage of the Challenge to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1.5 million.
• For the list of the Novel Technologies Streams' finalists, please see the Backgrounder or visit the Food Waste Reduction Challenge website.

Associated Links

Food Policy for Canada 
Food Waste Reduction Challenge: Novel Technologies

Twitter: @AAFC_Canada
Facebook: CanadianAgriculture

Backgrounder

Food Waste Reduction Challenge Finalists for the Novel Technologies Streams

The $20-million Food Waste Reduction Challenge was launched in November 2020 to advance diverse and high-impact solutions to food waste in Canada. The Novel Technologies Streams focus on technological solutions to food waste to extend the life of perishable food, transform food waste and accelerate their advancement in the Canadian market.

Here are the six finalists selected under the Novel Technologies Streams:

Recipient	Primary Location	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.
Aruna Revolution Health Inc.	Trois Rivières, Quebec	Aruna's sustainable compostable menstrual pads and tampons are developed from processed agricultural waste (vegetable and fruit fibres) in a circular bioeconomy model.
Carbon Lock Technologies Inc.	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.
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.
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.
Genecis Bioindustries Inc.	Scarborough, Ontario	Genecis engineers use specialized bacteria to transform food waste into compostable bioplastics.

SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

For Media: Marianne Dandurand, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, [email protected], 343-541-9229; Media Relations: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 613-773-7972, 1-866-345-7972, [email protected]