WINDHOEK, July 13 — The Capricorn Foundation officially launched its Food Waste Challenge 2022 on 13 July 2022. This follows the announcement of the commencement of the challenge on 29 June 2022, which called on innovative solutions from the public to reduce food waste in Namibia.
At the event, more detail and guidance were provided on the nature of the Challenge, the process of applying, judging criteria and more. The Capricorn Foundation also announced that Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) is their official media partner for the Food Waste Challenge.
“Sharing information to empower our communities with information, NMH believes that through our network we will connect Namibians and international stakeholders to collaborate and take responsibility for the food insecurity solutions in Namibia. We want to motivate and challenge other media institutions and stakeholders to take up this challenge and be the vehicle for positive change in Namibia. We congratulate the Capricorn Foundation on this remarkable initiative and are committed to telling the stories in whatever form, shape or size”, said Hennie Geldenhuys, Chief Marketing Officer of Synergi Marketing Pty Ltd.
The Food Waste Challenge is based on an open innovation platform, offering N$100 000 for the winning solution. The Capricorn Foundation seeks ideas in the form of a written proposal for reducing food waste in Namibia that will create new possibilities in addressing the basic need of food security for the most vulnerable people in Namibia and positively impact society to improve the quality of life of many Namibians. The proposal will be evaluated on a theoretical basis, considering the current state of knowledge concerning food waste in Namibia.
Chief Marketing Officer of Synergi Marketing Pty Ltd , Hennie Geldenhuys; Executive Officer of the Capricorn Foundation, Marlize Horn and; Manager of Innovation at Capricorn Group, Rikus Grobler at the press conference in Windhoek.
The submission deadline is 12 August 2022, and an expert panel of judges representing various sectors of the economy will select the winning solution. The proposed solution must meet specific requirements and justify it with arguments and relevant references.
“As a Connector of Positive Change, the Capricorn Foundation seeks ideas for reducing food waste in Namibia. Every day there are tons of consumable food being discarded as waste. We acknowledge that there are ongoing efforts to address Namibia’s food insecurity issue. Still, we are looking for new possibilities that can tip over a pivotal domino on the problem of the food waste chain that can result in exponential benefits. A solution to this problem would not only address the basic need of food security for the most vulnerable people in Namibia, but it can also positively impact our society and improve the quality of life of many Namibians. Ultimately, we are seeking solutions that would effectively lead to more food, which would have been wasted otherwise, to reach the vulnerable communities. Through this process, we also hope to increase awareness on the issue of food insecurity and the contribution that food waste is adding to this problem,” said Marlize Horn, Executive Officer of the Capricorn Foundation.
Who can enter? This challenge is open and offered to:
- Individual participants – an individual aged sixteen (16) years or older at the time of registration.
- Team Participants – teams consisting of up to five (5) individuals aged sixteen (16) years or older at the time of registration.
- Business Entity Participants – legal business entities.
How do you enter and submit your idea?
- Participants can visit https://capricornfoodwastechallenge.skild.com, to find general information on the Challenge. They can then proceed to sign up and register first, by clicking the “Sign Up” button on the web page, and then accurately and truthfully complete the online registration form, accept the Terms and Conditions, and click the “Submit” button to get started. Participants will receive an email to confirm their registration.
What kind of ideas and solutions are we looking for?
The Capricorn Foundation seeks new possibilities that will provide original and impactful solutions for any part of the total value chain from collecting food waste from Sources, verifying suitability for human consumption, and distributing the food to Receivers/Distributors, where it can be further used or distributed to Beneficiaries. The solutions must lead to more food, which would have otherwise been wasted, reaching the vulnerable communities.
How will ideas be judged?
All entries that meet the eligibility criteria for the challenge and do not otherwise violate any terms and conditions, will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Relevance – Does the idea address the stated challenge? Will the idea effectively lead to more food – that would have been wasted otherwise – reaching more vulnerable people in Namibia.
- Level of Innovation – Novelty or newness of the proposed solution. How bold and fresh is the idea? Is it a game-changer?
- Feasibility (practicality) of the proposed solution – High possibility of implementation considering risks and costs. Technical and economic feasibility will also be considered.
- Impact and Benefits – The proposed solution’s potential to generate exponential benefits to address the issue of Food Waste in Namibia.
- Scalability – Likelihood and impact of scalability of the proposed solution.
- Sustainability – Likelihood of sustainability of the proposed solution.
- Inspiring – Will the solution inspire people to address the problem of food waste in Namibia?
Visit https://capricornfoodwastechallenge.skild.com, to enter and view the terms and conditions. Enquiries can be directed to Rikus Grobler, Manager: Innovation, of Capricorn Group at rikus.grobler@capricorn.com.na
