ProVeg Asia and World Animal Protection Launch Food Innovation Challenge
ProVeg Asia will launch the Food Innovation Challenge across Southeast Asia, in partnership with World Animal Protection, as the region accelerates its support for plant-based innovation.
The challenge, launching on 11 January 2021, aims to reduce the consumption of animal products to support global health, environmental sustainability, food security, and animal welfare. Following the success of the 2020 ProVeg Plant-Based Innovation Contest, the first of its kind, The Food Innovation Challenge will nurture future talent from universities all over Southeast Asia.
Supported by Beyond Meat, CPF, HaoFood, Nestle, Oatly and Unilever with participation from 19 Universities across 9 countries (including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia). Teams of participating students will compete to win cash prizes up to 5,000 USD.
In making delicious, safe, and affordable plant-based foods as accessible as possible Southeast Asia can accommodate growing demand for sustainable food. The region represents approximately 8.5% of the world’s population, more than 655 million people. According to the World Economic Forum, the expanding middle class in the ASEAN region, along with a rise in health awareness, is leading to an increasing demand for plant-based food. The Asia Pacific region has the largest share of plant-based consumers globally. Given the increasing awareness of health and environment, the region is also expected to constitute the largest share of the global plant-based food sector in the near future. ProVeg wants to help transform the most innovative, impactful, and sustainable plant-based food ideas into successful quality products.
“A plant-based diet is the solution to multiple global issues, such as climate change, food security, animal welfare, and more. According to research, shifting to a plant-based diet has the potential to reduce personal food-related greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50%. We invite students from SEA to join the challenge, let their talents shine, and contribute to the future of humanity.”, says Shirley Lu, Director of ProVeg Asia.
Challenge details:
Ideas should be submitted by March 13th, with final proposals ready by June. Online webinars and local events organized by student societies to support ideation, will run from mid-January to March, with corporate mentorship and proposal development available until May. The final award ceremony will take place in June 2021.
