It’s no secret that the food industry is undergoing a consumer-driven revolution and at Campbell we’re working every day to rise to the challenge.
Sometimes one of the ways to address a challenge is to work outside-in, and that’s why Campbell is the lead sponsor of the non-profit Net Impact’s Forward Food Competition—where the experts turn to consumers and ask, “What would you do?”
The Forward Food Competition is looking for business ideas that reflect new ways to think about our food system or food and beverage products that “meet a consumer need, as well as create economic, social and environmental value.” Contest organizers are asking participants to think like the founders of food start-ups– companies that have risen to mainstream success on a platform of socially-minded and environmentally-conscious innovation.
Net Impact works with students, job seekers and business professionals to empower a new generation to drive social and environmental change.
Net Impact is encouraging participants to focus on one or more of the following: to create a new or sustainable product; to solve food waste issues, or to improve food systems. An in-house team of Net Impact judges will review and provide feedback to each submission. Ten finalists will be asked to submit a one-minute pitch video to be sent to an expert judging panel (including yours truly), as well as Kirsten Tobey from Revolution Foods; Seth Goldman of Honest Tea; and Jerry Lynch from General Mills, also a sponsor.
Entries will be scored on four categories: innovation, market need, feasibility, and sustainability (social and environmental value).
The Forward Food Competition is open to anyone; the deadline to submit an original business idea is May 15, 2016. Winners will be announced on Net Impact’s website on June 20, 2016.
Visit the Competition's page for more information on the contest.
Consider submitting those ideas—you never know how far they can travel and the impact they’ll have on this changing industry. It’s our joint responsibility to drive change and I look forward to seeing where they’ll take us.
Dave Stangis is Vice President - Public Affairs & Corporate Responsibility at Campbell Soup Company and President, Campbell Soup Foundation. In 2008, Dave was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics by Ethisphere Magazine. Trust Across America has named Dave one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior for three years in a row. He is on the advisory boards of the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan, Net Impact, The University of Detroit College of Business, and the board of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. This article was originally posted in the Campbell Soup Company Newsroom. It has been edited for clarity.