OTTAWA,
ON, May 14, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, as part of
Canadian Innovation Week 2024, 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.
The Challenge, launched in November
2020 in partnership with Impact Canada, supports high-impact
solutions to food waste in Canada.
The Novel Technologies Streams 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.
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.
Quotes
"Congratulations to Clean Works and Genecis Bioindustries for
your work to help tackle food waste in Canada. Through initiatives like the Food
Waste Reduction Challenge, we're supporting innovative solutions
that will help Canadians and businesses save money and turn food
that could go to waste into new or value-added products."
- The
Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and
Agri-Food
"Both food waste and food scarcity are increasing in
Canada and globally which
highlights the important of strengthening our food systems. The
support through the Food Waste Reduction Challenge and the funding
provided by AAFC positions Clean Works and Canada as a world leader in food safety and
food waste reduction technology. With this support, Clean Works can
bring products to market that provide sustainable solutions to
battle plant disease and food born illness while reducing chemical
use, ensuring safety of our pollinators, and increasing the bottom
line for our farmers."
-
Denise VanderVeen, Director of
Business Development, Clean Works Inc.
"Thanks to the support of AAFC, Genecis is poised to make
significant advancements in the global commercialization of
Canadian-made biotechnology. This prize money will enhance our
technological capabilities and expand our operational scope to
accelerate the conversion of waste into high-value bioproducts. We
believe that our participation in the Food Waste Reduction
Challenge will enable Canadians to live healthier and more
sustainable lives and inspire the next generation of
innovators."
-
Luna Yu, CEO, Genecis Bioindustries
Inc.
Quick Facts
- According to Second Harvest and Value Chain Management
International, 58% of Canada's
annual food supply is reportedly wasted or lost.
- The Food Waste Reduction Challenge is part of the first-ever
Food Policy for Canada, which
serves as a roadmap for a healthier and more sustainable food
system in Canada. It is a vision
that all people should be able to access the healthy food they need
in a dignified manner.
- The second round of the Food Waste Reduction Challenge
attracted 238 applications from innovators across Canada and around the world, which led to 18
semi-finalists, and ultimately six finalists chosen across
Canada who brought forward 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.
- An External Review Committee, composed of subject matter
experts from a diverse range of backgrounds, played an important
role in reviewing solutions and recommending winners at each stage
of the Challenge.
- Entries under the Food Waste Reduction Challenge's Novel
Technologies Streams were evaluated against established criteria,
including potential volume of food waste reduction, technology
effectiveness, level of innovation and scalability as well as
environmental and economic benefits.
- To learn more about the Novel Technologies Streams and to view
the Novel Technologies Streams' Finalist Videos, visit
the Food Waste Reduction Challenge website.
- Under the Food Waste Reduction Challenge's Business Models
Streams, two winners were announced in March
2024. Each company received a grand prize of $1.5 million.
- To learn more about the Business Models Streams and to view the
Business Models Streams' Finalist Videos, visit the Food Waste
Reduction Challenge website.
- Rising inflation and increasing food prices are challenging for
many Canadians, and the Government of Canada is working to make life more
affordable. We recognize that food affordability is a sensitive
issue as food security concerns have been on the rise, putting
pressure on household finances and making it more difficult for
many families to afford healthy and nutritious
food.
- That is why the Government of Canada is continuously working to strengthen
Canada's food systems to ensure
sustainable food production and processing.
Associated Links
- Food Policy for Canada
- Food Waste Reduction Challenge: Novel Technologies
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,
and LinkedIn
Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada