Do you have a Vision for the ideal future food system of 2050?

If so, there is a Prize waiting for you to realize your dream!

The Rockefeller Foundation, in partnership with SecondMuse and OpenIDEO, launched the Food System Vision Prize: an invitation to develop a Vision of the regenerative and nourishing food system that we aspire to create by the year 2050.

Up to 10 selected Visionaries will be awarded a Prize of $200,000 US Dollars.
Slow Food is among the key partners supporting the Prize. Slow Food contributes to the Prize by helping to broaden its objectives in order to enhance aspects that are close to the Slow Food philosophy, such as small-scale agriculture that respects the environment and the importance of supporting communities.

Here are the 7 Food System Vision Prize Core Beliefs:

1. We see the world through the lens of a multitude of interconnected food systems.
2. We believe that food connects us to our communities, institutions, culture, personal identities, and each other.
3. We believe a positive future requires honoring food traditions while also developing new ways of thinking and working.
4. We believe that transforming food systems requires diversity of thought, perspectives, and solutions.
5. We believe food systems should contribute to protecting and regenerating the environment.
6. We believe food systems should support the health, wellness, and nourishment of our bodies, souls, and communities.
7. We believe in the sensorial power of food to ignite creativity and spark joy for all.

ABOUT THE PRIZE:
WHAT:
The aim of the prize is to empower communities globally to develop a vision of what their food system can look like in the year 2050 if we make the right choices environmentally, culturally, politically, socially, etc. Applicants to the prize are asked to develop actionable plans for the future and illustrate how they will become protagonists in their own food future. Creating a compelling and progressive Vision for the future of our food system requires a culture of collaboration that rallies industry, policy, academia, and society to act as one. When we come together, we can deliver sustainable, nourishing diets for people and the planet by 2050.
As a Food System Vision Prize participant (a.k.a. Visionary) you will be tasked with imagining a hopeful, inspiring Vision for your chosen place through a “Systems Thinking” lens. The goal is to develop a Vision that reflects the views of the people within your chosen place’s food system and that addresses the following themes: Environment, Diets, Economics, Culture, Technology, and Policy. Key values to consider for the Vision are Renewability, Resilience, Equity, Diversity, Healthfulness and Interconnectedness. An inspirational Vision has the potential to inspire a movement: This is the time to think big and think brave and to bring together the many dimensions that we must consider if we are to transform whole food systems, not just small aspects of them.

WHO:
Visions can’t be submitted by individuals acting alone but must be developed by legally registered and organized entities, including companies, governments, cooperatives, communities, NGOs, and universities. The Rockefeller Foundation hopes the teams will come together: for instance, a farmer business organization might pair with a research institution, or a food company might work with a community group and a young farmers coalition. The more diverse the areas of expertise and the sectors represented, the better. Each legal entity can submit more than one Vision. Slow Food activists can get together and submit their Visions by finding local organizations with whom to partner. This is a great way to find new allies and collaborators in your local area!

WHERE:
Visions can be submitted from all over the world. In describing a Vision for a place and the people in it, Visionaries are asked to think of locales that do not exceed 100,000km2. Participants are encouraged to select a place big enough to address all Themes and not so big that the nuances and complexities of the system are hard to capture without over-generalizing.

WHEN:
The Early Submission Deadline is December 5^th. The last day to apply is on January 31^st, 2020.
Participants who publish their submission by 5 December 2019 will have the opportunity to attend an invitation-only webinar with members of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Food team. No preference will be given to participants who submit early; however, participants who do, may benefit from the opportunity to connect with other participants, seek feedback on their submission, and engage with the OpenIDEO community team.
You will find a detailed timeline on the website.

HOW:
Visions can be submitted by using the platform on Food System Vision Prize website. Detailed information on how to fill in the form is also available on the website. Visions need to be written in English, but you can use either DeepL or Google Translate to translate your project.

Helpful resources available to enhance the competitiveness of your entry:

• Prize Toolkit: This resource is a must-read! It contains information that will help applicants consider the current state of our global food system, the stakeholders involved, and the six Themes that help to explore food systems and how to take a system thinking approach. In the toolkit, you will find many explanations, examples, and exercises that will serve as fuel for your team as you envision a nourishing food future for your food system in 2050. Additionally, specific guiding questions that you can consider when writing your application are provided on pages 62 onward.
• Prize Statement: Contains detailed information on evaluation criteria and scoring, Vision team eligibility, the challenges to be solved and more.
• Food System Map: Offers a visualization of the key dynamics and forces at play in the food system across six Themes: Environment, Diets, Economics, Culture, Technology, and Policy. The map is meant to be a tool that you can use to capture the complexity of the food system in your chosen place.
• Global Event Toolkit: Join the movement by hosting a local event to help others in your community envision the future of your food system. The Food System Vision Prize Global Events Toolkit will guide you through planning and hosting an event.
• Resource Library: Visionary Teams can access an ever-growing collection of data, ranging from tools to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to exercises.

For more detailed information about how you can submit your Vision, visit the website: http://bit.ly/2MWFvUz 

The world needs you, join the call!