Here's a story about how members of the Changemakers community are using simple technology to improve farming throughout Africa and South America:
Much has been made of the Internet revolution, but the genius of communicating ideas across borders does not necessarily require cutting edge technology. In fact, for many people, there's one good old-fashioned technology that has a greater power for change: radio.
For people who live in remote rural areas around the globe, without easy access computers and who don’t read or speak the most common languages of the Web—English, Spanish, French—the Internet is not much use. But a global exchange of ideas and information happens anyway, in part thanks to Farm Radio International.
Read more about this solution, or discuss this topic below.
Created on 07/13/2009 by Elizabeth
When it comes to genetic food engineering, claims are often made about farmers ability and interest to adapt. And how about vitamin-rich rice? ... Are these realities or misrepresentations? Tell us what you think here
[Also check out our GMO Risk or Rescue competition. Share your idea or initiative to get noticed and to be eligible for various prizes. Submit your entry by October 21, 2009.]
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: jumbo farms project.
Created on 05/23/2013 by david jumbo
Due to the deplorable state of abattoirs and meat handling in Nigeria and to curb the concomitant health problems being experienced, the jumbo farms project seeks to provide, healthy livestock that are raised and slaughtered using globally accepted methods,and then retailed to final consumers.
Organization: JUMBO FARMS PROJECT
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Nigeria, RI, port harcourt
Is your organization a
For‐profit
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideStage
Idea (poised to launch)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Due to the deplorable state of abattoirs and meat handling in Nigeria and to curb the concomitant health problems being experienced, the jumbo farms project seeks to provide, healthy livestock that are raised and slaughtered using globally accepted methods,and then retailed to final consumers.
Problem
Meat products being sold in Nigeria are raised and slaughtered in the most unhygienic conditions. The UN. F A O, concluded that “although the spectrum of meat-borne diseases of public health importance has changed with changing production and processing systems, in recent years human surveillance studies of specific meat-borne pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella. and Yersinia enterocolitica, have shown that the problem continues
Solution
In Nigeria, when it comes to meat production, the status quo is: slaughtering of unhealthy animals, sale of poorly kept and mostly rotten eggs, meat being transported in open vans and vehicle boots and being exposed to flies and other disease carrying insects, fish being caught from rivers which have being polluted by human and industrial waste, animals being burnt with rubber tires in a bid to remove their fur instead of skinning them e.t.c. The list is endless but my idea would give people a healthy option of knowing the animal wasn’t diseased, or fish they are sure was raised on a farm not in contaminated rivers.the solutions for this problems is basically the application of globally acceptable methods in meat handling
Example
The main objective of the jumbo farms project would be the breeding of healthy livestock( chicken, cattle, goats, and fish) which will then be processed using hygienic and globally acceptable methods and packaged for sale. This is in other to reduce incidence of contaminated meat being sold in my part of the country.
Impact
The project is still at the start-up and registration stage and as a result no qualitative and quantitative data can be provided at this point.
Marketplace
Right now in nigeria, no one else is providing the service i am proposing.the only company that was providing a similar service was a company called UAC's MEAT MART. they however went out of business some years ago.
Sustainability Plan
Animal farming is a capital intensive business meaning most of the money needed is at the start up stage, after that, animals reproduce and replenish sold out stock. Not much purchasing is done after the first breeding stock has been bought. Profits acquired from sales can be used to keep the farm going and pay up depts. Nevertheless if the need arises, loans can be acquired from financial institutions.
Founding Story
The idea came up a few years ago after I accompanied a friend to the main abattoir in my state (rivers state, Nigeria). The condition there was deplorable, diseased livestock where being slaughtered and there was little to no government enforcement due to the endemic corruption facing my country. From that moment i began nursing the idea of having a private farm where livestock is raised, slaughtered, processed and sold using acceptable global practices.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
Added capacity would largely improve the quality and size of the farm which would directly increase the farm's reach and impact zone.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Due to the deplorable state of abattoirs and meat handling in Nigeria and to curb the concomitant health problems being experienced, the jumbo farms project seeks to provide, healthy livestock that are raised and slaughtered using globally accepted methods,and then retailed to final consumers.
The Jordan Farmers Union aims to serve farmers and especially the margins attained by lack of water availability and climate change seem to hit small farmers at its worst. The project aims at enabling JFU to adopt the General Commission's priorities in meeting members’ needs and defend their benefits.
The Faculty of Agriculture at Chiang Mai University was established in 1964, expanding from the Department of Agricultural Science. It was fully officiated on February 25, 1967 to serve three major functions; teaching; research and community service. It is one of the largest faculties at Chiang Mai University. At present the Faculty is committed to three major functions, namely: instruction, research and community service and extension.
TWADA aims to promote cultivation and management techniques for wax apple, develop marketing channel for domestic and export market, promote an integrated development and culture for the wax apple industry and help raise the wax apple farmers’ incomes. Its activities include promotion of organic planting methods for wax apple, increasing international markets and communications and participation in international organizations. Some of its members have received various agricultural awards from the government.
TDFA has a membership of around 570 dairy farms all over the country. It aims to strengthen the association of and promote the cooperation among dairy farmers, guarantee the legal benefits and dignity for dairy farmers as well as maintain the needs of the society, facilitate the information channel and feeding technology for dairy farmers, and build up a sustainable development environment for the dairy industry.
PAKISAMA is a national peasant confederation and movement towards the empowerment of small farmers, fishers, rural women, youth, and indigenous peoples. It envisions humane, gender-sensitive and environmentally sound rural societies where peoples control and own the basic means of production and exchange, critically and actively participate in governance, protect and care for the environment, and live the values of authentic humanism in a Philippine society characterized by justice, freedom, democracy and national sovereignty.
NLRF is a national people’s organization uniting those who are deprived of their land rights – bonded laborers, tenants, the landless, farmers, haruwa, charuwa and trust land farmers and inciting them to action.Since its establishment in 2004, NLRF has been working towards its vision of a society where all tenants and landless farmers live dignified lives.NLRF operates in 50 of Nepal’s 75 districts,comprising 42 district level & 2,072 village level people’s organizations.
KKM is a platform of more than 21,000 farming families,60% of which are represented by women.Its goal is to take forward the mandate of smallholder farming families and advocate for their rights, ensure food security,get recognition & dignity of women farmers, ensure sustainable livelihood and formulate pro-poor agriculture policy and thereby move towards a solvent and dignified life.The alliance has three tires-at the grassroots 813 villages based farmer’s organizations, at the Union level 30 Union based farmer’s alliance the central alliance.
KAFF is dedicated to farmer care & upbringing & supports farmers through education and lobbying for favourable government policies.It works towards improving the situation of rural communities in the country.It carries out activities such as nationwide protests against free trade agreements & for higher price of rice, campaign to reform the national agricultural cooperative federation,annual Lee Kyung Hae commemoration and marathon,operation of a center to provide legal & financial services to farmers.
FNN was established after a process of consultation among village-based farmer associations supported by its partner NGO, CEDAC.It acts as an umbrella organization representing & providing technical,management & capacity building services to its members in village-based farmer associations from 50 districts in 13 provinces.It is led & managed by a national committee elected by farmer representatives during the general assembly.
API is a national farmers’ organization established by farmers’ groups in 2001 after a series of farmer exchange visits organized by its partners AsiaDHRRA and InDHRRA (now Bina Desa). It was formed because of the need for a national farmers’ movement to advocate against unjust policies that marginalize millions of small farmers, pushed from their lands by large Industries. Its activities are focussed on advocacy of agrarian reform; management of production activities; improving market access and building solidarity among its members.
Ainoukai was formed in 1945 to help construct ideal rural villages where love and peace prevail.It conducts a course on organic farming, acts as a certification body for the Japanese JAS organic agriculture food standard, conducts training program in forestry and agriculture technology based on the Ainou spirit, publishes a monthly news-letter, organizes an international exchange program, and matches youth who want to go into farming with villages who want to have new farmers.
AFA is a regional alliance of national federations & organizations of small-scale women and men farmers and producers.AFA invites national farmers’ organizations as members and works with NGOs in facilitating the formation of national farmers’ organizations and in continuously building their capacities.AFA aims to be a strong and influential voice of small-scale women and men farmers in Asia.AFA acts as a facilitator in the trading and marketing of their members’ products.
Created on 05/22/2013 by aa532
Our project makes hot, healthy meals an easy option for busy people. It then uses the profits from these meals to subsidise the cost of the same service for others. We are making organic, sustainable, waste-reducing strategies mainstream in the food market.
Organization: The Very Berry Lunch Company
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The Very Berry Lunch Company
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Please select
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
Sussex Startup Award is a competition open to Sussex student and recent graduates for enterpreneurial ideas. My winner's packahge included six months of mentoring from the Sussex Innovation Centre, office space and a £2000 grant to be used in developing my idea further.
I also won first runner-up at the Sussex University Enterprize competition under the category of "improving the lives of Sussex students".
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The Very Berry Lunch Company
Stage
Idea (poised to launch)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Our project makes hot, healthy meals an easy option for busy people. It then uses the profits from these meals to subsidise the cost of the same service for others. We are making organic, sustainable, waste-reducing strategies mainstream in the food market.
Problem
Hot, healthy food on the go is virtually impossible to find at a reasonable price in the UK. Healthy food is expensive. Cheap food makes you fat. Most of it is cold, [in a country where a warm meal can make a world of difference]. And everything is just a little bit unethical. It is hard to shop for food that does not make you feel worse about yourself in some way.
Solution
We provide ethically sourced, fresh, hot, healthy meals to your place of work. The profits subsidise the cost of meals to students, mothers, children and the homeless. The entrie system aims to reduce waste, by buying and sourcing ingredents in bulk, encourage healthy eating across the board, and sources sustainable produce from farmers in the local area. We take the hassle out of you packing a lunch or buying food and make responsible choices convenient.
Example
Meet Laura. She is 24, waitresses, and is a student. Money is tight so she cycles between work, home and University. She leaves early and is not home till late evening. Her meals consist of cheap crisps, shoddily made peanut butter sandwiches, and kebabs. Food is not a priority and money is always a concern. So Laura hears about us. She signs up. Everyday a van pulls up outside University and provides Laura with a fresh warm meal, made with local ingredients. She pays less, because the meals are made in bulk and then cycles off tto work on a full stomach. Rather than being goverened by circumstance, she knows she has made a positive contribution to society, eaten in a way that’s respectful to her body and has made a berry good decision.
Impact
Still in its idea phase, The Very Berry Lunch Company is preparing for a pilot in London in June 2014. Using the present grant from the Sussex Innovation Centre, we are in the process of preparing a targetted marketing strategy that understands the best populationto launch our project to. We aim to provide it to the young, working population in the UK, and slowly expand. The profits from our mainstream sales will make us able to provide the same service at a lower cost to students, the homeless and single mothers. We hope to make people across the board eat better quality food and think about their consumer power in making responsible chocies.
Marketplace
There are other great innovations such as Foodcycle in the UK, and Spoonfuls of Love in the US that attempt to reduce waste and encourage healthy eating. There are also local cafes, restaurants and plans that incorporate sustainability and encourage organic food. However, this project aims to draw together a few different threads and unite them while making the general system itself convenient by including a delivery service. It aims to partner with people working in the space but is different in its approach.
Sustainability Plan
We aims to run two streams. A first that caters to the office-going population in CBZ areas. Profits from these sales subsidize the cost of meals for students, single mothers, and the homeless population. We keep costs low by buying produce directly from local farmers. All meals will be vegetarian and we and we plan to lease a local kitchen and are currently designing the most cost-effective routes and delivery strategies, with the team.
Founding Story
When I went to University, I realised how hard it was to buy healthy food, at a reasonable price and on the go. I tried packing lunches, realised it spilt in my bag and I ended up wasting mulchy spinach everyweek. I couldn’t afford to eat at campus cafes everyday. I thought back to a childhood in India where a tiffinbox from home sent me hot, healthy food at school everyday. It was a concept that worked in India flawlessly. If only, that could be translated and adapted to a Westren context, we could seriosuly reduce the effects of food poverty and obesity in the UK. What a wonderful way to live.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Nutrient-rich farming.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
It would ensure the quality of our food and guarantee that people signing up the service were receiving the best possible nutrition.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
CECAD is a non-governmental organisation established by an interdisciplinary group of researchers and practitioners with a social and natural background which include biology, ecology, environment, conservation, community development, resource management, economics and society.CECAD undertakes research in order to develop and implement projects that will aid environmental protection and community development with the target of reducing poverty.
Marlon researches on the Impact of Biosand Filter on Access to Safe Drinking Water in the Rural Communities of the Philippines.
Ali Akbar Group aims at extension work at farmer levels,sales and marketing of pesticides,seeds and micronutrients.It is a good platform to engage all agricultural professionals to share their knowledge and experience.
Organization for the welfare of the farmers of Pakistan.
ARC is celebrating twenty years as an international leader in the study of East and Southeast Asia,undertaking fundamental interdisciplinary & disciplinary research into a wide range of social, political and economic dynamics within the region.The Centre’s objectives are to produce high quality academic research publications for international and domestic audiences; foster the development of high quality research graduates; and to constructively contribute to public policy debate and public understanding on issues concerning contemporary Asia.
CRES's aim is to become the country’s centre of excellence for natural resources and environmental studies.CRES is a focal point in providing leadership in the implementation of critical and strategic activities on biodiversity conservation, sustainable utilization of natural resources and environmental protection. CRES also promotes national and international collaboration in research, training, information dissemination and other activities in related areas.
Zulfiqar Farms grows seasonal vegetables and off-season vegetables in tunnel farming,animal fodder & helps in wheat production.
Kisan Board Pakistan works for the welfare of farming community, introducing new production technologies to increase crop yields, organising farmer forums at village levels and representing farmers demands to the Government.
With community health programmes in large geographical areas in Central and South Asia, as well as East Africa, and more than 200 health facilities including nine hospitals, the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) is one of the most comprehensive private not-for-profit health care systems in the developing world.
Altaf's VISION-To be a responsible company that provides innovative solution in dairy farming CREATING COLLECTIVE VALUE.Its MISSION-To constantly strive to introduce new products and services that are the needs of progressive farming.Its VALUES-They operate with full transparency in all their internal and external transactions.
B Foods exists to change the way we eat and think about food. By revealing the impact of our consumer choices through hands-on experiences, we aim to raise awarness about how food is produced, transported and cooked, and how this affects our own health and the planet's future sustainability.
Agro Green Services staff has extensive experience in all agricultural disciplines and has been managing products through the regulatory process. Agro Green Services has been proudly serving the agricultural community since 2010.We also offer a wide range of services designed to meet the varying product study management needs of our clients.Agro Green provides the agricultural industry with healthy fruits & vegetables.It makes aware the farmers about the contamination of products plus reduce its contamination.
Tradic Junction involves in Imports,Exports & Distributions.It also specializes in the development, production & wholesale business of vegetable seeds,cereal seeds & oil seeds respectively.They have testing,marketing & distribution capabilities in vegetable & cereal seeds production under the supervision of highly experienced staff in different areas of Pakistan.
Created on 05/14/2013 by Arlinda Fety R
Vegetables are foods that contain nutrients needed by the body, but the supply is still contaminated by many chemicals. Farmer became a milestone in the change. YIS engaged in community development in the field of economic development, health and education.
Organization: Yayasan Insan Sembada
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Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
YIS believed to be an experienced NGO in the field of community development and capacity building / training since 1974, especially in the areas of health, organic agriculture, peace building, economic development and education by using participatory approach and highlighting the importance of gender equality.
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Healthy vegetables on the slopes of Mount Merapi, Selo, Boyolali
Stage
Idea (poised to launch)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Vegetables are foods that contain nutrients needed by the body, but the supply is still contaminated by many chemicals. Farmer became a milestone in the change. YIS engaged in community development in the field of economic development, health and education.
Problem
Now, public aware the needs of vegetables in nutrition and health, but in market it much exposed to chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Selo, Boyolali District, located on the slopes of Mount Merapi, is the agriculture center of vegetables and distributed to various regions in Central Java. Excessive use of chemical can affect the health of farmers, and consumers, e.g miscarriage in pregnancy, disturb the lungs, liver, cancer,and hypothyroidism.
Solution
Encourage farmers to produce healthy vegetables, will be done through:
- Campaign using the traditional approach of local culture, contains about the production and consumption of healthy vegetables. by targeting vegetable farmers especially women farmers because women have a big role in the household and children. It will also affect to vegetable consumers residing in other areas.
- Training, Train farmers on how to manage a healthy and organic farming. provide guidance on how to manufacture organic fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers are expected to perform eco-friendly agriculture to produce healthy vegetables independently and sustainable.
- Demonstration plot, organic vegetable farm as a model for vegetable farmers in District Selo.
Example
Farmers group gathered for get counseling and training on organic farming and the benefits for the environment and health. Farmers are also encouraged and assisted to make organic fertilizers and pesticides so the production cost is cheaper than using chemicals. With the skills, farmers can apply them in garden respectively.
Healthy and organic vegetables with better quality than conventional farms will solve the problem of scarcity of healthy organic vegetables at the market. With this change the farmer families and the wider community will be able to consume healthy organic vegetables, easier, cheaper and improve the economic welfare of vegetable farmers.
Impact
With increased knowledge and skills of vegetable farmers about environmentally friendly agriculture, so farmers can understand, practice and produce healthy vegetables for themselves, their families and the wider consumer. Besides farmers contribute to protecting the environment by using organic fertilizers and pesticides and decrease the cost production so it will improve the welfare economic of farmers.
Today, organic vegetables still costly due to limited availability in the market, so the fact, organic vegetable consumption can only be made by high-income people. With the increasing number of farmers who produce organic vegetables, it will increase the availability of organic and healthy vegetables in the market so that the price is more affordable by the whole society.
Marketplace
As center area of producing vegetables, vegetable farmers in the Selo sub-district have not been touched by mentoring program of development organic vegetable horticulture area, either by the Department of Agriculture and Food Security Agency. In addition, the introduction of environmentally friendly agricultural program is not only to preserve the environment, but also linked to the impact of improved health for farmers and consumers in other areas. More value of the program is the participation of women, it is also an embodiment of the MDG's points 3 which Promote gender equality and empower
Sustainability Plan
Through mentoring synergistic patterns collaboration with government and private agencies that have same vision and mission can expected speeds adoption technology innovation, improve marketing and institutional aspects in the development of organic vegetable cultivation. The project area are the slopes of Mount Merapi, has tourism potential that can be used as organic agro-tourism for income generation and sustainability of the agricultural area
Founding Story
Yayasan Insan Sembada/YIS (formerly Yayasan Indonesia Sejahtera) is a NGO that has vision "A trustworthy professional partner to strengthen the national self sufficiency towards the national idealism". With mission is Promote the models and development concepts to support the achievement of national self sufficiency. Selo is an area on the slopes of Mount Merapi which produces vegetables and distributed to other areas. But it is still contaminated by the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides that dangerous for environment and heath. So, we want to change the behavior farmer to produce healthy vegetables and eco-friendly farming system.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
Selo, is known and popular in Central java about their vegetables and the beautiful view. Soil in there, is already fertile because it has been exposed to volcanic ash from Mount Merapi, so it does not need excessive chemical fertilizers. Supported with a beautiful view from the location itself is to be the main attraction to develop as an eco-friendly tourism potential agriculture. By this program, we could also invite women to cultivate organic vegetables into a nutritious food ingredient for consumption and resale in the form of vegetables flour as a food additive for the kids.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Created on 05/14/2013 by Lovin' Spoonfuls
Headquartered in Boston, MA, Lovin' Spoonfuls is a 501c3 non-profit food rescue organization that facilitates the recovery and distribution of perishable and unserved food that would otherwise be thrown away and wasted. We deliver this food to local crisis centers, soup kitchens, and pantries.
Organization: Lovin' Spoonfuls
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Country
United States, MA, Boston, Suffolk County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, MA, Boston, Suffolk County
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
2012 MassChallenge Gold Prize Winner
2012 John W. Henry Family Foundation Social Impact Prize Winner
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Lovin' Spoonfuls Food Rescue
Stage
Established (the solution has passed the previous stages, and has demonstrated success)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Headquartered in Boston, MA, Lovin' Spoonfuls is a 501c3 non-profit food rescue organization that facilitates the recovery and distribution of perishable and unserved food that would otherwise be thrown away and wasted. We deliver this food to local crisis centers, soup kitchens, and pantries.
Problem
While 49 million Americans struggle daily with food insecurity, 40% of all food produced in the U.S. goes to waste each year. Not only does the food itself go to waste, precious natural resources including fresh water and oil are also squandered in the production of this food. Hunger has traditionally been addressed with processed, non-perishable foods, but why should we stop at non-perishables when there is so much fresh food already available?
Solution
Food rescue provides a timely and innovative solution to the ongoing problems of food insecurity and food waste. Through Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ streamlined model, food donors are able to reduce their waste disposal costs and emissions footprint while contributing a tax-deductible food donation to their community. Our focus on fresh produce, lean proteins, and whole grains allows our partner organizations to consistently serve their clients healthy and wholesome meals without increasing their own operating costs. Our work aims to connect people in need to the bounty of unused food that prevails in our community. Access to nutritious food should be a right, not a privilege reserved for the wealthy.
Example
Every weekday, our team picks up second-line product from grocery stores including as Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe’s, and several restaurants, bakeries, and farms. We deliver this food to local soup kitchens, homeless shelters and crisis centers including Pine Street Inn, Boston Rescue Mission, and Bridge Over Troubled Waters, among others. The mainstays of food assistance are often overly processed, non-perishable foods, typically loaded with salt, sugar and chemical preservatives. In hunger relief, why should we stop at non-perishables when there is so much fresh food already available? Our food rescue model helps social service organizations to balance their budgets while also providing healthier food items to their clients.
Impact
To date, the Lovin' Spoonfuls team has rescued and distributed over 600,000 pounds of fresh and healthy food across Greater Boston. We currently have two refrigerated delivery vehicles and two full time drivers on the road. More trucks and more drivers mean that we can pick up more food and serve more people. In 2013 we intend to add another truck to our fleet, which will further extend our capacity and reach.
Marketplace
Food rescue is an unaddressed area of hunger relief in Greater Boston. While food banks rely on warehouses and other overnight storage facilities to maintain a stockpile of non-perishable goods, Lovin’ Spoonfuls utilizes a direct distribution system to pick up perishable food from donors and deliver those items to local soup shelters, soup kitchens and crisis centers within the same day. Lovin' Spoonfuls is based off successful food rescue organizations in other cities such as City Harvest in New York City, DC Central Kitchen in Washington DC, and FoodRunners in San Francisco.
Sustainability Plan
We are actively fundraising from foundations and individuals to aid program growth and ensure the continued financial stability of our operations. A lean business plan and low operating costs provide a solid foundation for our scalable model, and we hope to expand operations to eventually reach the four corners of Massachusetts. Our work aims to ensure everyone in our community has access to the types of food necessary to sustain a healthy life.
Founding Story
Lovin’ Spoonfuls was founded in 2010 by native Bostonian Ashley Stanley. Stanley witnessed the amount of food that was being thrown away by food service establishments and questioned why so much food was going to waste when the number of hungry and homeless individuals in Massachusetts continued to increase. Inspired to take action, Stanley initially utilized her own car to rescue food that would otherwise have gone to waste from local food retailers and restaurants. She has since acquired two refrigerated food delivery vehicles and has developed Lovin’ Spoonfuls into an effective and acclaimed organization.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Full nourishment foods.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
We intend to expand program capacity by adding more refrigerated delivery vehicles to our fleet. More trucks and drivers on the road mean we can recover more food and serve more people. In addition to our direct distribution services, we hope to foster increased awareness about the ongoing issues of food waste and food insecurity in our local community by educating the public and serving as a local platform for Boston to join the national conversation on food waste.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Headquartered in Boston, MA, Lovin' Spoonfuls is a 501c3 non-profit food rescue organization that facilitates the recovery and distribution of perishable and unserved food that would otherwise be thrown away and wasted. We deliver this food to local crisis centers, soup kitchens, and pantries.
Created on 05/14/2013 by kitameri
CORE Foods' mission is to cultivate a healthier planet by empowering people with fresh food and resources. Our CORE Meals are the first real perishable packaged food option on the go – all delivered in a not-for-profit model that reinvests in food quality, the planet, and honest nutrition advice.
Organization: CORE Foods
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United States, CA, Oakland, Alameda County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, CA, Oakland, Alameda County
Is your organization a
Hybrid
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
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Established (the solution has passed the previous stages, and has demonstrated success)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
CORE Foods' mission is to cultivate a healthier planet by empowering people with fresh food and resources. Our CORE Meals are the first real perishable packaged food option on the go – all delivered in a not-for-profit model that reinvests in food quality, the planet, and honest nutrition advice.
Problem
We are constantly bombarded with competing nutrition information, making it difficult to make healthy choices. It is especially difficult to make these choices on the go because nearly all packaged foods contain additives, preservatives, sugar, oil, and flour. Furthermore, pursuit of profits drives down packaged food quality, so larger food companies exploit confusion and cheap ingredients to further their own goals - not feed us the best food!
Solution
CORE Foods has developed an on-the-go meal that is nutritionally balanced and 100% organic, raw, and gluten-free: a full bowl of oatmeal in bar form that delivers four hours of stable energy. If you don't have time for a salad, and don't want to eat the candy that is most on the go food, CORE Meals are for you! Beyond making the best food we can, CORE believes in reinvesting its profit in food quality, sustainability, and our community. Even more, CORE provides completely unbiased online nutritional information and community outreach/events in order to increase awareness about the basics of healthy eating: eat mostly whole raw fruits, vegetables, and other produce!
Example
One example of how our solution operates is for a working mom. She is unable to take the time for breakfast in the morning because she is occupied with other tasks. She can reach for a CORE meal and eat it on-the-go like she would normally with a bar that may not be healthy. Then, after drinking water, it will be as if she has eaten a whole bowl of oatmeal and will get the nutrient value and the energy, but in a more convenient form. In addition to eating our meal, she can look online for a plethora of nutritional information and simple principles to live by. Through our efforts, this working mother is able to accomplish her goal of healthy eating, both by eating her CORE meal, and by absorbing the nutritional guidelines we provide online.
Impact
Despite CORE’s recent beginnings, its impact is vast and increasing rapidly. We represent over $1,000,000/year (at current rates) in economic activity dedicated to non-extractive work with a positive impact on human health, the planet, and the environment. The over 10,000 meals that CORE delivers per week displace both unhealthy food options that are made using unsustainable methods, and people skipping meals altogether. CORE Foods increases access to fresh meals and community health by serving over 1,875 pounds of organic, raw, gluten free food per week. Both revenue and meals delivered are expected to double within the next year. And CORE goes further than organic by committing to never include additives in our ingredients and pushing our suppliers to make the finest, purest ingredients to meet our strict quality standards. We are constantly pushing to increase our positive impact.
Marketplace
CORE foods is an innovator because we are a packaged food company that makes perishable, fresh food and we commit to incredibly strict nutritional standards. And we do all of this in a business model that is not extractive and not focused on making profits. These values go against current norms for packaged food companies. We commit to making only the healthiest, whole, produce-based foods--no syrups, salts, flours, oils, or additives and operating with an innovative not-for-profit business model that both out-competes traditional for-profit businesses and makes the world a better place.
Sustainability Plan
By selling our food at retail outlets we have built a small, but reasonable margin into our model to fund growth, while still delivering food at an incredible value: ingredient costs that are 4x industry avgs (40% or revenue v. industry avg 10%). Whenever we sell CORE Meals we are able to finance even more food, and work in education and social and environmental work. The more meals we sell, the more we can reinvest in what matters!
Founding Story
In our founders' search to understand the human relationship with food, he lived with 12 traditional tribes across the globe. Looking at these cultures and our society today, it was clear that the confusion consumers have about what to eat was not always a problem. Truly healthy, long-standing diets all focused on simply fresh food, whole foods, and raw or unprocessed food. Corey became inspired to create an unbiased source for healthy food that took the confusion out of the eating. While traveling he noticed that all the on-the-go food options available did not meet basic historical nutritional principles, so he decided to revolutionize this industry by creating an on-the-go option that promotes health and community reciprocity.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Full nourishment foods.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
By having our own locations, and not just selling products at retail, we could create a lifestyle destination that would allow us to have direct and deeper impact on our customer's lives through nutrition education workshops, counseling, meetup groups, and serving fresh food every day. Also, these locations would allow us to source and serve even more fresh food every day, allowing us to partner with local farmers to support nutrient-rich, organic farming of high-impact crops.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: HEAR Foundation.
Created on 05/14/2013 by lindsayadams26
Empowering women to cultivate and properly prepare nutrient-dense foods is the foundation for an economically dynamic country. In Guatemala we teach integrated, sustainable farming techniques as seeds of change for a healthy future for the women's families and the communities to which they belong.
Organization: HEAR Foundation
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Country
United States, IL, Chicago, Cook County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideStage
Growth (the pilot has already launched and is starting to expand)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Empowering women to cultivate and properly prepare nutrient-dense foods is the foundation for an economically dynamic country. In Guatemala we teach integrated, sustainable farming techniques as seeds of change for a healthy future for the women's families and the communities to which they belong.
Problem
In Guatemala, almost one out of every two children under five are malnourished, not due to an absolute caloric deficiency, but a lack of nutritional diversity. Some of the most vulnerable subgroups are women, children and those living in the Dry Corridor of Central America in which Jalapa is located. Extension programs target men, and food programs emphasize quantity of food, not quality. This costs Guatemala 11.4% of annual GDP.
Solution
The Foundation works with a home for abused, orphaned and economically disadvantaged babies, girls and young women in Jalapa, Guatemala. Our Agriculture and Nutrition program is holistic- from field to fork- teaching principles of integrated farming such as composting, vermiculture and seed production, and also how to track vitamin intake through an easy to use graphic-based vitamin calendar in the kitchen. The program also models environmental sustainability and economic efficiency in all components of the program, from planting a living fence of fast-growing trees that also provide fodder for animals, to creating a gravity-fed irrigation system, to construction of a seed nursery out of recovered materials found on the home’s property.
Example
Imagine the life of a typical girl at this home: she has suffered from malnutrition since birth, as has her mother. She probably comes from a female-headed household because her father was killed in the civil war, is a migrant worker in other parts of the country or has abandoned the family. She has mostly eaten corn and beans for every meal, as this is what her mother knows how to grow and believes is a healthy meal. Most families where she comes from barely make a living off of the crops they grow for the market because they only know to purchase fertilizer, seeds and pesticides. Her future points to acute hunger and debt. Our program feeds and frees her- she will be able to grow nutritious food with little capital or other inputs.
Impact
Of the home's population, 100% of our target demographic reaps the immediate nutritional benefits of growing vegetables and fruits on-site. This includes babies, toddlers, children, nursing mothers and young women. While the program is only in its second year, we have been able to identify the following results. The young women participating in the program have demonstrated, through practical and theoretical tests, basic knowledge needed to cultivate diverse crops. Those who prepare food demonstrate increased awareness of and interest in tracking the vitamin content of the meals they prepare. Residents opt for healthy snacks such as fruit more often than not. Finally, the home's leaders have shown new interest in assessing the sustainability of their property- for example considering goats rather than cows as a non-traditional source of milk.
Marketplace
In Guatemala many programs do not assess Agriculture and Nutrition as mutually complementary areas of intervention, especially as they relate to gender. For example, many agricultural extension programs that do focus on environmental sustainability do not target women specifically. Many nutrition programs look only to meal planning and not the food security of home production for family consumption. Our approach is holistic, seeing women as the bridge between what is grown, what is eaten and how, and who in the family has access to it.
Sustainability Plan
This program is still in a growth phase where we need additional resources in particular to assist with organizational and behavioral change at the home. Once we are able to hire an additional employee, full-time for two years, to assist with ensuring that what is learned in the program is retained and fully adopted- from field to fork- then the home's leaders can teach the program and model concepts themselves with minimal outside costs.
Founding Story
A few years ago we tried to figure out how to make the home more self-sufficient and at the same time use the land they had access to. In many things we had done at the home we had encountered roadblocks. So we thought "let's lease the land to a farmer- money in the hands of the home, and quick." But a local agronomist and community leader who we knew painted us a different picture- no expensive irrigation and no fancy seeds. Let's grow good food here, he said. But everyone says the soil is shallow and poor, that agriculture is a waste, we told him. He insisted- let me try! Six months later the soil was healthier and the land was covered in a sea of protein and vitamins that the girls could call their own. We have not looked back.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
With additional funds we would be able to dedicate a full-time person specifically to assessing and supporting adoption of new behaviors and skillsets. While we have an on-site agronomist teacher, we need to focus on behavior and organization in order to be sustainable. Once the caretakers are confident in growing and preparing well-rounded meals independently, the program will not need nearly the level of intervention and support as it requires now. In other words, each one will teach one. In other words, we need one of the oldest technologies- good, one-on-one, education.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Food gardens are fundamental to ensure food security. FTFA introduced Permaculture to South Africa in 1991 & these principles are applied to all FTFA food gardening projects.Today hundreds of communities & schools apply to FTFA for assistance to develop permaculture food gardens & many are helped.
Created on 05/14/2013 by FTFA
Food gardens are fundamental to ensure food security. FTFA introduced Permaculture to South Africa in 1991 & these principles are applied to all FTFA food gardening projects.Today hundreds of communities & schools apply to FTFA for assistance to develop permaculture food gardens & many are helped.
Organization: Food & Trees for Africa
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
International and local awards for FTFA, founder and staff: United Nations Global 500 Laureate, the President Nelson Mandela Forestry Award, The Department of Environment Conserva Award, The Mail & Guardian Green Trust and Investing in the Future Awards, The Impumelelo Award, PMR Awards, the Eskom Chairman’s Award, the Mail & Guardian Chairman’s Award and the Institute for Housing SA Community Upgrader Award, the International Chevron Conservation Award, the United Nations Environmental Programme Sasakawa Climate Change Award, Arbor Day Foundation Award in the USA, the SAB Environmentalist Award, the best use of social media and website Sangonet award, UN supported SEED Award and Moola for Amanzi.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideName your entry
Food & Trees for Africa - Food Gardens for Africa Programme
Stage
Established (the solution has passed the previous stages, and has demonstrated success)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Food gardens are fundamental to ensure food security. FTFA introduced Permaculture to South Africa in 1991 & these principles are applied to all FTFA food gardening projects.Today hundreds of communities & schools apply to FTFA for assistance to develop permaculture food gardens & many are helped.
Problem
Food security is reaching crisis proportions. 1 billion on the planet go to bed hungry every night. This is increasing with the devastating effects climate change affecting large & small scale agricultural yields & rising food costs. 1 in 15 children die before their 5th birthday in South Africa. 15% of babies are born with a low birth weight. 2.7 million children (15%) live in households where there is child hunger. 1 in 10 children suffer from severe malnutrition.
12 million people suffer from food insecurity, and 4 million of those are on the brink of starvation. AIDS & child headed households are another challenge. Natural resources eg water are under severe pressure.
Solution
Food Gardens for Africa provides support to start up or developing food gardens through starter packs that include training workshops, necessary tools, plant material & education material to thousands of schools & community groups that apply for help. Those that then show commitment are selected and presented to funders for further support. FTFAs decades of experience shows that ideally food gardens need support over 3 years to take them through seasons & ensure participants receive adequate training in horticulture, nutrition & basic business. Projects become self sustaining through effective food production, food cost savings, income generation & sustainable natural resource use & management. Gardeners & their dependents' health improve.
Example
FTFA started working with disadvantaged Toronto Primary School in 2004 to establish a productive garden, nursery & poultry production. FTFA then provided additional support & training on garden maintenance, water management, harvesting, AIDs & nutrition, record keeping & pest management, topics that could have presented challenges that would detract from the project’s success. Now, even in FTFA’s absence, Toronto teachers & parents utilise information, skills and resources to assist other schools & home gardens with their own project development, troubleshooting satellite projects. Toronto has raised money to develop medicinal plant gardens & for other community support & have won many awards for being an exemplary project.
Impact
This program has produced thousands of food gardens in all provinces of the country in urban, rural & peri urban areas over the years, many of which are still operating. Through this small scale, local food production, tons of natural produce have been produced & money has been saved on produce. Thousands of educators, learners & community members have been trained to grow their own food organically & use & manage natural resources sustainably, resulting in improved & increased water and fertile soil. The produce from many of these gardens is used to feed Orphaned and Vulnerable Children & those infected with HIV. The skills transfer & capacity building through Food Gardens for Africa are key to the sustainability of the projects & facilitate other employment or entrepreneurial activities. Schools no longer need government feeding schemes & most sell healthier food to these & teachers.
Marketplace
FTFA pioneered carbon offset, tree and bamboo planting & permaculture in S Africa. As climate change & food security become a greater concern more organisations are establishing similar projects. FTFAs 23 years of experience & success, great communications, education initiatives & good reporting make this an outstanding, recognised & reliable organisation. FTFAs Permaculture Starter Pack (PSP) helps to assess the viability of necessary long term investment in projects while boosting projects in their infancy. The PSPs range from level one to three, with funds and resources increasing with project success.
Sustainability Plan
Ideally a food garden project requires 3 years of support to become sustainable. During this time the project is addressed holistically, taking into account sales, marketing, production, planning & more. This helps projects to become sustainable. FTFA depends on donor funding at the outset but aims to help them to save costs, resources & generate their own income over time.
Founding Story
23 years ago, as one of Jeunesse Park's heroes, Nelson Mandela, was about to be released from 29yrs in jail she decided to return to the land of he birth, from which she had gone into self imposed exile during the dark days of apartheid. Over years of traveling on the planet she saw some of the most beautiful places in the world & also saw the terrible environmental devastation we have caused to destroy them, usually forever. She returned to S Africa to do something positive for her country, to put down roots & contribute in a unique way to the earth & to the people, especially those living in the barren, dusty & inhumane townships. Her sense of responsibility & understanding that one can make a difference led to the founding of FTFA.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Nutrient-rich farming, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Full nourishment foods.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
Adding full nourishing food programmes would help to close the circle and create a larger impact in implementing these projects. Being able to holistically integrate the full nourishment foods aspect into our food gardens project would help to create more meaning for the project, hopefully making them more sustainable.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Empowering women to cultivate and properly prepare nutrient-dense foods is the foundation for an economically dynamic country. In Guatemala we teach integrated, sustainable farming techniques as seeds of change for a healthy future for the women's families and the communities to which they belong.
Vegetables are foods that contain nutrients needed by the body, but the supply is still contaminated by many chemicals. Farmer became a milestone in the change. YIS engaged in community development in the field of economic development, health and education.
Created on 05/14/2013 by Raj Jani
Happy Healthy Home is a holistic solution to provide vital nutrients to a family or household in a manner that controls daily health damages and prevents from falling ill. This comes in a bouquet of products & services that are based upon nature-care and are free from any artificial substances.
Organization: Happiness Stores Private Limited
more ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Happiness Stores Private Limited
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
For‐profit
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
Co-founder Mr. Tulsi Bhatia has received Best MSME National Award in the year 2010.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideStage
Start-Up (a pilot that has just started operating)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Happy Healthy Home is a holistic solution to provide vital nutrients to a family or household in a manner that controls daily health damages and prevents from falling ill. This comes in a bouquet of products & services that are based upon nature-care and are free from any artificial substances.
Problem
Damages occur in our lives on a daily basis due to unsafe food, wrong eating habits coupled with stress, lack of exercise, radiation & polluted external environment. There is a sole reliance on cure rather than on prevention, which leads to a flourishing Pharmaceuticals industry, often mistaken as Healthcare industry. Mushrooming of spurious healthcare products & overuse of chemicals further aggravate the plethora of problems faced by mankind!
Solution
Our products offer resistance to environmental factors and maintain natural health coupled with a definite boost to body's immunizing capabilities to fight diseases. We offer affordable healthcare solutions for all population segments as they are made from nature's bounty in terms of herbs, medicinal plants and concoctions. Small ailments like joint & muscular pains, liver and kidney damages, digestion/metabolism disorders etc. get corrected with the use of our products & by undergoing alternative therapy treatment. With our mission as 'Health for All', we provide complete healthcare solution coupled with product promotion, health awareness/education, training and support services based upon 'Everything Natural' theme.
Example
While on one hand our products for consumption like aloe-vera juice and seven-herb juice provide vitality and all round nutrition to human body, the external applications of products like aloe-gel and soap for instance are carving niche in the marketplace, as can be verified by numerous testimonials available with us. On the other hand our alternative therapy services like electric accupressure bed & techniques are proving path-breaking in terms of their impact on individual's health and fitness.
Impact
Our work has started generating tremendous response as more & more users of our products and services have reported significant improvement on their wellness & fitness. However our goal is to achieve a significant impact on the health of the poor and vulnerables, a large number of who fall back into Poverty trap because of their ill-affordability of medical care especially on account of expenses on critical healthcare in their households. We plan to reduce monthly medical expenses in a typical Indian household by 50% and food savings on account of less expenditure on food purchases by another 15% of their monthly expenditure as we guarantee a significant reduction in both food and medicine expenditure against the use of our products and services, We will reach out to about 150000 households through 60 outlets in next 2 years, which means a saving of Rs. 2.3 million (@1500 per HH) alone.
Marketplace
The Indian healthcare industry valued at US$ 65 billion worth of healthcare spend (2012) is estimated to reach US$ 100 billion by 2015, growing 20 per cent year-on-year, as per rating agency Fitch. India currently faces a chronic shortage of healthcare infrastructure especially in rural/peri-urban areas and as per PWC, India needs 1.75 million new beds by the year 2025. The annual pharma market in India is valued at USD 20 billion and is growing at over 15.3% per annum. Even if we assume 1% of these two supplied by unconventional options, our target market is over 1000 crore rupees annually.
Sustainability Plan
Wellness or to remain healthy is the single most important need of the mankind. Added to it is the factor of affordability which makes or breaks the appeal of certain products. With the virtue of operating in affordable healthcare and wellness segment, our sustainability is automatically ensured. Further since one third of our products are made in-house and there is an equal emphasis on nature therapy, we are in strong position to sustain self.
Founding Story
Being ambitious is directly proportional to being healthy as both of us co-founders have felt it strongly as we embarked on our journey to do something together. As we wanted to do number of things together, often our health used to take a toll and therefore we decided to first tackle itself before moving further with our plans, without realising that 'Healthcare and Wellness' itself was an overpowering idea that needed a push. Hence the concept came into being.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
Since we have to create mass awareness around wellness and disease-free life, we would like to take-up yoga camps, sensitization-health camps etc. eventually, which would work go a long way to build our brand. Also 'health foods' will be a separate vertical in our store hence investing in nutrient rich farming is an obvious vertical backward integration to ensure availability of healthy inputs e.g. organic and safe foods.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Reality Gives and FMCH (Foundation for Mother and Child Health) believes that early health care and balanced nutrition are critical for a child to reach his /her full potential and dreams of a world where the potential of each child is not limited by poor early health or malnutrition.
Let's make use of our waste! Human waste can create natural and easily accessible fertilizer for food production. By developping human manure composting systems we can close the loop of nutrients in the food system to produce cheap food locally and improve sanitation systems for a sustainable future
Created on 05/13/2013 by abilfield
The Cookbook Project is an international non-profit organization dedicated to reversing the global rise in chronic disease by using food culture and cooking to teach youth about the impact their food choices have on health, community, and the environment.
Organization: The Cookbook Project
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this project is creating social impact
United States, MA, Sudbury
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
2012 Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideStage
Growth (the pilot has already launched and is starting to expand)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
The Cookbook Project is an international non-profit organization dedicated to reversing the global rise in chronic disease by using food culture and cooking to teach youth about the impact their food choices have on health, community, and the environment.
Problem
Currently, 60% of mortalities worldwide are due to chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The World Health Organization has categorized this trend as a 'global epidemic of chronic disease'. Young people worldwide are especially at risk for these chronic lifestyle-related diseases as they are inheriting the negative lifestyle habits of their parents.
Solution
In order to reduce this global epidemic of chronic lifestyle-related diseases The Cookbook Project has developed an effective experiential education curriculum that uses food culture and cooking to teach young people about the connection between nutrition, health, and sustainability. In order to reach the most at-risk youth in both the developed and developing world, The Cookbook Project has created the Local Leaders Training Program which trains community leaders through online and on-site programs to implement The Cookbook Project's unique curriculum.
Example
The Cookbook Project curriculum teaches young people about the connection between their food choices, and the health of themselves, their communities, and the environment. This unique education model not only teaches young participants to make healthy food choices, read labels, and write recipes, but to also plan menus, budget meals, and prepare delicious, healthy, locally sourced and culturally relevant dishes. By empowering young people to make healthy choices at an early age and becoming ambassadors for health in the kitchen, The Cookbook Project's curriculum makes a difference at the local level that will impact the trend of chronic disease at the global level.
Impact
To date, The Cookbook Project has trained over 300 Local Leaders to work in their communities through online and on-site training programs, reaching an estimated 4,000 at-risk youth. We have partnered with 22 organizations worldwide, in 18 different countries. These Local Leaders are currently working with The Cookbook Project to collect behavior change data for a Curriculum Impact Study, which will span over a two year period. Moving forward, The Cookbook Project plans to train 150 Local Leaders each year through online and on-site programs.
Qualitative reviews of the training program have been overwhelmingly positive:
Tschepo Ramutumbu, from a training in Soweto, South Africa, noted that “This program has taught us a lot about the health challenges facing our own community, and how we can start to change our habits and to use our own food cultures to become healthier."
Marketplace
There are many organizations today that are trying to educate young people about making healthy lifestyle decisions. Cooking Matters, H.E.N.R.Y. and USAID Healthy Strides are just a few of the key players. However, none of these organizations use an experiential education model that puts the youth participant at the center of the learning experience in the same way that The Cookbook Project's curriculum does, nor do they use food culture as the starting point for learning. The Cookbook Project also works at the grassroots level internationally to train Local Leaders in their own communities.
Sustainability Plan
The Cookbook Project plans to become financially sustainable through consistent private fundraising, grant writing, and program related fees. More specifically, the organization is working towards sustaining its foundational Local Leaders Training Program through program-related fees for non-scholarship participants. Over the next two years, the goal is raise funds through the program fees to cover the costs of running this central program.
Founding Story
Alissa and Adam are the co-founders of The Cookbook Project. As a public schoolteacher in the USA, Adam saw the negative impact that cheap processed foods were having on his students in the Boston Public Schools. Meanwhile, Alissa was working in environmental policy and saw that the solution to both environmental and health issues globally was the same -- better decision making on behalf of consumers to support sustainable and health-enhancing foods. Together, they observed the negative consumption trends happening globally. As a solution, they have developed an experiential curriculum for The Cookbook Project, to effectively engage youth by teaching them how to and makesustainable food choices, through the vehicle of food culture.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
Although we currently ensure the availability of nutrients in all of these areas through our curriculum, which spans topics that touch on each of these areas, additional capacity would help us to provide more resources to the leaders that we train who are working in the field to implement The Cookbook Project Programs. With added capacity, we can offer more extensive scholarships and grants to these Local Leaders, who are serving their communities through The Cookbook Project's Curriculum in the areas of environment, farming, nourishing foods, and human wellness.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Created on 05/13/2013 by rdoiron
Do you dig good food? We do too, literally. We're Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI), a nonprofit of 30,000 people growing our own healthy food and helping others to do the same. We're best known for having led the successful campaign for a kitchen garden at the White House. We're ready to grow!
Organization: Kitchen Gardeners International
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Kitchen Gardeners International
Organization Country
United States, ME, Scarborough, Cumberland County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, ME, Scarborough, Cumberland County
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
-On Day One contest grand prize winner (United Nations Foundation)
-Edible Nation grand prize winner (eHow.com and Rachael Ray)
-Heart of Green award winner (Hearst Corporation)
-Do Good Outdoors contest winner (Good Magazine)
-Climate Matters Video Contest - 3rd prize (Vimeo)
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Kitchen Gardeners International
Stage
Growth (the pilot has already launched and is starting to expand)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Do you dig good food? We do too, literally. We're Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI), a nonprofit of 30,000 people growing our own healthy food and helping others to do the same. We're best known for having led the successful campaign for a kitchen garden at the White House. We're ready to grow!
Problem
How can we manage to feed 10 billion people both nutritiously and sustainably in 2100 when we're not managing to do either in 2013 with a population of 7.1 billion? (Hint: the answer is in our own backyard.)
Solution
KGI thinks that the best way to accomplish something big is to inspire and empower a lot of people to do something small. We seek to improve food security and maximize human and environmental health through the promotion of food gardens, the smallest and most accessible form of agriculture. Our approach is to harness the resources-human, technical, financial-of people who grow their own nutritious, delicious, and sustainable food to help others do the same. We do this through three programs: 1) educational programming to teach more people how to grow their own food 2) awareness-raising campaigns that make the case for more food gardens to policy-makers and thought-leaders and 3) mini-grants to small,like-minded groups in the US and abroad.
Example
KGI has excelled at applying modest financial resources to targeted societal pressure points to achieve big results. To date, we've achieved our biggest victories by mobilizing people online to create momentum towards a goal, using that momentum to attract media attention (we've been covered 10 times in the New York Times in the past 5 years), and then using the media attention to mobilize even more people. This is the approach we used with our White House Kitchen Garden campaign which ended up winning the United Nations Foundation's On Day One competition and coverage in Washington Post, BBC and Wall Street Journal. That high-profile garden is now thriving and serving as the best advertisement for food gardens that money can buy.
Impact
While our past results are impressive for such a small organization (reaching, teaching and inspiring millions of people with an annual budget of under $100,000), we're most excited about our future impacts, especially in connection with our new mini-grants program called Sow It Forward. Launched last year, Sow It Forward leverages the volunteer resources of our community along with the financial and material resources of gardening companies and funders to plant and sustain food gardens that serve vulnerable and underserved populations. In our first year, we offered 80 grants (73 in the US, 7 abroad) that reached 24,000 people and helped them to grow 80,000 pounds of healthy food. Yet, we're just scratching the surface of this program's potential: our online application received over 920 applications in just 5 weeks. Our goal in 2014 is to double our grants and impacts.
Marketplace
There are many gardening & small-scale agriculture initiatives underway globally. One thing that sets us apart from many traditional garden organizations (eg the National Gardening Association) is our focus on food gardens. We share some of the same goals of groups working in the re-localization/resilience space (like the Transition Network) but there too, our focus on food gardens sets us apart. We're similar to an Ashoka-sponsored group in Ireland called GIY, but rather than create local chapters like they're doing, we're partnering with existing local groups like schools, churches, etc.
Sustainability Plan
We're finding that there are many people, foundations & companies willing to donate their time, seeds, cash, supplies and know-how for redistribution to garden projects in need. Our sustainability plan is create value by serving as a clearinghouse for these donations and to fund the mini-grants part of our work (our main activity moving forward) via foundations and companies that share our garden goals. It's working, but we'd like to do more.
Founding Story
My epiphany came when I returned to my childhood neighborhood in the suburbs of Portland, ME (where I now reside again) after living and traveling abroad for 10 years. I came home to see that the gardens of my youth had disappeared or been downsized and that the neighborhood farm where I had picked peas and beans as a 12 year old had been plowed under and sown with a different type of crop: a subdivision of 100 houses growing immaculate, chemically-enhanced lawns and absolutely nothing to eat, unless you happen to be a sheep. Prior to my return to Maine, I had been working in Brussels as head of Friends of the Earth Europe, an environmental NGO. I realized that one good way to make the world a better, healthier place was to plant a seed.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
Support via Nutrients for All would help us do three things:
1. Increase the number of local partner groups we could support and engage via our Sow It Forward program, especially those in the Global South. This past year, we supported 80 groups total, 7 of which abroad. Our goal this year is to double that.
2. Improve KGI.org as an online community for our partner groups by migrating our Drupal 7 site to Drupal Commons 3.0.
3. Create more global solidarity and networking via improved coordination of World Kitchen Garden Day.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
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People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
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Created on 05/13/2013 by johnmkamba
expertise in nutrition education & behavioral change which will make a key contribution to a nutrition-sensitive food & agriculture systems approach through: nutrition awareness which helps farmers decide crops to produce and supplying subsidized hybrid maize seed & fertilizer & revolving fund.
Organization: tamba pwani
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Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
the organization has received grant from UHAI to undertake world AIDS day in 2012.
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Sustainable nutrition security for marginalized community
Stage
Idea (poised to launch)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
expertise in nutrition education & behavioral change which will make a key contribution to a nutrition-sensitive food & agriculture systems approach through: nutrition awareness which helps farmers decide crops to produce and supplying subsidized hybrid maize seed & fertilizer & revolving fund.
Problem
Good health depends on good nutrition. Good nutrition, in turn, depends on agriculture to provide the foods for a balanced diet that meets our needs. Since nutrition is the bridge between agriculture and health.
Although agriculture currently produces enough food for all, several people are unable to meet their minimum food energy requirements, and suffer from “hidden hunger” caused by micronutrient deficiency.The main victims are the poor.
Solution
Teach a man and you have taught a man; teach a woman and you teach a family. Women are known as good communicators of household knowledge, including that related to nutrition, foods, food preparation, child care and feeding practices. For that reason, interventions need to include a strong programme of nutrition education and behavior change, targeted principally towards women, in order to ensure that an increase in food supply and income translates into better diets and improved household nutrition.Also providing community-managed revolving fund to provide 4000 goats, rabbits and chickens to rural households, along with training in animal care, intensive nutrition education, iron supplementation and disease control.
Example
Nutrition education will persuade women to increase the quantity of vegetables in family meals and will be instrumental in orienting small animal production towards household consumption, rather than for sale. Nutrition education shall also helps communities gain a sense of empowerment through a better understanding of what makes their children and family healthy. The revolving fund of 4000 goats, chicken and rabbit to provide economic balance to the community.
Impact
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
Marketplace
the problem is addressed through nutrition counselors and loans for beginning community projects are given by the government but most people cannot access them due to marginalization. the people also do not have knowledge of conducting these projects. also poverty is a means in which people cannot access nutrition counselling thus this project will bring service near to the community and engage them fully through follow ups to enable success.
Sustainability Plan
The project shall be self sustainable since we shall form a revolving fund for all the farmers per house hold in which they shall have monthly contributions as per the sale of their products. And the repayment of the animals shall also give an opportunity for more community members to get the animal loan for keeping and eating for nutritional purposes.
Founding Story
this project is well organised and since its an idea which can really work. in the case of HIV/AIDS infected persons, the knowledge of nutrition which they get from the counselors, help them maneuver through and live a healthy life. am seeing this project to help the my community get knowledge and view the importance of good nutrition. the loan for the animals and chicken will create a sense of poverty eradication so that they can get meals on their table since a good nutrition cant be successful without food.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
Sustainable improvements in the nutritional status of women and their children will only be possible when their diets provide all the macro- and micro nutrients they need. Narrowing the nutrition gap requires “nutrition-sensitive” food and agriculture systems that explicitly incorporate nutrition objectives. A healthy environment is disease free and human beings who are well can work to produce more for their family. The animals shall be a means of poverty eradication for them to have meals on the table.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
expertise in nutrition education & behavioral change which will make a key contribution to a nutrition-sensitive food & agriculture systems approach through: nutrition awareness which helps farmers decide crops to produce and supplying subsidized hybrid maize seed & fertilizer & revolving fund.
Created on 05/13/2013 by Barada Mallick
Women managed sustainable agriculture, encompassing ecological, economic and social aspects, as follows:
Adopt non-pesticide, soil health and plant nutrient management practices
Deliver safe food at reasonable rates, via organized urban retailing
Raise ownership of the women in agriculture
Organization: Deepak Foundation
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Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
Winner of “Businessworld FICCI CSR Award 2011-12”, in Large Enterprises Category
Winner of E-India 2010 Citizen's Choice Award
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Women Managed Sustainable Farming and Urban Retailing
Stage
Idea (poised to launch)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Women managed sustainable agriculture, encompassing ecological, economic and social aspects, as follows:
Adopt non-pesticide, soil health and plant nutrient management practices
Deliver safe food at reasonable rates, via organized urban retailing
Raise ownership of the women in agriculture
Problem
•Reduce use of harmful synthetic agrochemicals, depleting population of friendly species, polluting air and water, and creating health problem for users
•Reduce soil fertility depletion due to unwise fertilizers use and improper soil management
•Improve availability and accessibility of safe food, for urban consumers
•Improve condition of women farmers by increasing their access to resources, decision making power and earning
Solution
Organize 300 women farmers from 10 villages in Pavijetpur tribal block of Vadodara district of Gujarat, India under a producer group. The group will be guided for cultivating food crops in sustainable manner as follows;
•Use of naturally occurring insecticides (e.g. neem tree products), and cultural, mechanical and biological pest and disease control methods
•Balanced use of fertilizers and adopt soil health management practices (e.g. crop rotation)
The food crops, will be marketed in the nearby city of Vadodara. An urban health conceous consumer association will be formed, and the association members will get regular home delivery of the agro produce, following fixed route plan.
Example
Sustainable agriculture will reduce agricultural input cost (e.g. fertilizers) and improve per acre crop production. It will also improve the farm ecosystem.
Improvement in farming knowledge, via training and guidance, is a predominant requisite for empowerment of the women farmers. The skilled women farmers will able to participate in farming decision with their husband, find smart ways to access productive resources and efficiently use their labour endowment for economic gain.
Better availability (enough in supply and easiness in physical reach) and accessibility (reasonable price) of safe food will be a gift for city based middle and lower class consumers.
Impact
The project is in the 'ideation' stage. Expected Impact Indicators are as follows;
•Reduction in use of hazardous synthetic agrochemicals by 90%
•Fall in cultivation cost by 25%
•Rise in per acre crop production by 25%
•Rise in number of farm lands having balanced soil nutrient by 60%
•Rise in decision making power of the women in agriculture (e.g. crop planning) and access of the women farmers to productive resources (e.g. credit) by 60%
•Rise in availability as well as accessibility of safe food to served urban households by 60%
Marketplace
Abhinav Farmer Club at Pune district of Maharashtra, India is into organized production and urban retailing of certified organic agro produce, since more than ten years. The whole activity is managed by village level farmer groups.
Kaushalya Foundation, a Bihar, India based NGO is producing vegetables through farmer groups and marketing it through street vendor network using modernized pushcart.
Unlike the proposed plan by Deepak Foundation, in both the above cases, there are no dedicated women farmer producer groups and city based consumer association for the activity.
Sustainability Plan
Cost
Yearly operating cost: INR 13.4 lakh
Year-1 fixed cost: INR 13.8 lakh
Funding Source
Operating cost for first year and year-1 fixed cost, to be supported through a grant or loan.
Expected yearly incremental gain from organized marketing (while ensuring consumers’ interest) is INR 26 lakh. Part of the profit to be used to pay the loan towards year-1 fixed cost and to compensate the operating cost from year-2 onwards
Founding Story
Demand of organic food is growing among urban consumers in India. But, there is not enough supply of it.The reason being, initial reduces production by going for organic cultivation , tedious task involved in organic cultivation and long time ( about 3 years) involved in organic certification. Due to scanty supply, cost of organic food is beyond reach of the common public. Considering this, the plan is to initiate non-pesticide management practices in crop production, to start with. It will fully adopt organic production practices in steps, by end of third year. The idea is to avoid instant production loss, farmers and land to be acclimatized in steps for organic farming, and customers to get enough supply of safe food at reasonable rates.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
The budgeted year-1 fixed cost (INR 13.8 lakh), is for creating basic infrastructure at the collection center (for sorting and packing of the agro produce) and buying lorry (of capacity 4-6 tone) for transportation. With added finance, cold chain (cold storage and refrigerated van) could be developed. This will reduce storage and transportation loss of the food items by 15-20%.
The plan is also to create a seed fund to be used for financing crop loan to the farmers for productive asset creation (e.g. pump set for irrigation) and other instant farming needs
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Created on 05/12/2013 by stockbox
Stockbox places micro grocery stores throughout urban areas, to provide a local resource for fresh produce, meals, and essential staples in communities that don’t have access to good food. We are improving this access every day at our first Seattle store, and are now working to scale.
Organization: Stockbox Neighborhood Grocery
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Stockbox Neighborhood Grocery
Organization Country
United States, WA, Seattle, King County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, WA, Seattle, King County
Is your organization a
For‐profit
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
2011: University of Washington Business Plan Competition - 2nd Place Overall and Best Idea for Retail
2011: Bainbridge Graduate Institute Business Plan Competition - 1st Place Overall
2011: Healthy Foods Here grant recipient
2011: Herbert B Jones Foundation Milestone Awards
2012: Seattle Weekly Voracious Award
2012: invited to the White House twice
2012: selected as Echoing Green fellows
2012: SIFP Fast Pitch, semi-finalists
2012: Seattle Angels Conference, finalists
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Stockbox Neighborhood Grocery
Stage
Growth (the pilot has already launched and is starting to expand)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
Stockbox places micro grocery stores throughout urban areas, to provide a local resource for fresh produce, meals, and essential staples in communities that don’t have access to good food. We are improving this access every day at our first Seattle store, and are now working to scale.
Problem
Not long ago, most communities had their own corner store, regardless of their size, location, or economic standing. But over the past few decades, these stores have all but disappeared from communities, while larger grocery stores have moved outside the core because of their size. This now means that almost 25 million people across the U.S. don’t have access to a grocery store and that gap is actually growing.
Solution
Stockbox is the new neighborhood grocery. Instead of one large store, we place a chain of micro-grocery stores across cities. Inventory is focused on the fresh foods we buy most often, like milk, dairy, meat, produce, grains, and prepared meals. Stores are bright, inviting and fun, which is a direct contrast to nearby convenience stores. And, about 20% of our inventory shifts from store to store, to reflect community diversity.
Example
Before Stockbox, Sage used to drive out of his way and out of the community, because he hated taking his kids into a convenience store to shop. Paulina did the same, because she wanted access to produce, fresh foods, and heritage foods. And Sue simply relied on junk food, because real food was just too far away.
Across the board, our customers are excited to shop at Stockbox, rather than leave the community to shop at a larger store, even if that store has better selection, because they can find the food they want, at a price they can afford, and with an experience they can feel proud of…where they live.
Impact
Stockbox launched in 2011 with a prototype and followed up with our first store in 2012, which serves a neighborhood of almost 4000 residents who are cut-off from essential resources. We are now working to open our second store in the First Hill neighborhood, which will serve one of the most dense and diverse neighborhoods in Seattle, with 8500 residents and 10,000 workers within a quarter mile radius. By year 5, we will have opened a small chain of grocery stores throughout the region that serve upwards of 35,000 households, enabling us to expand into additional regions with even greater need. Stockbox also measures our impact via number of organic/local products sold; community members hired; non-profits supported; and avoided miles traveled. The value of our projected triple bottom line impact at year five approaches $20 million.
Marketplace
Some of the chains are making changes to pick up part of the market: Walgreens now offers produce and prepared meals at some locations; Amazon Fresh delivers to your doorstep for a fee; and even Target and Wal-mart are exploring “smaller” urban models…although at 30 to 50,000 square feet, they’re still missing the mark. However, the reality is that grocery stores are too big to focus on small urban areas; corner stores are often managed by single families and focused on serving a niche market; and convenience stores focus on non-grocery items like cigarettes, alcohol, and junk food.
Sustainability Plan
Since launching, we've raised $850k and we’re now raising another $600k To hit this goal, we’re working with our bank on a second loan; pitching donors on grants and charitable contributions, through our fiscal sponsor; and we’re working with investors on equity and financing options. We see the potential to launch 30 stores in the region but only need 4 stores to become financially sustainable and prepare to expand into another market
Founding Story
Stockbox started as a graduate school project for a group of students who were passionate about food and community development. We looked at what others were doing in the space of food access and decided to expand on the work of mobile markets, many of which were initially successful but then struggled to maintain customer commitment. We discovered this was because customers were looking for a permanent option (it could be difficult to align your shopping needs with the schedule of the truck) and a larger selection of food (most mobile markets were focused exclusively on produce).
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
Stockbox does offer locally-sourced and organic products. However, it's difficult to offer these products at an affordable price. There is still room to improve this access and enable customers from all economic levels to enjoy the highest quality fresh foods. In addition, many of the communities in which we work also face pressing environmental concerns because of their proximity to manufacturing and industrial bases. It's important to us to support this amelioration of these concerns in order to contribute more fully to the community's vision for itself.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Created on 05/12/2013 by dimyati786
The existing groups of backyard food gardens provided portion of household needs of nutrients, mostly fruits and vegetables. They will be enhanced and organized to create closer-to-balance nutrient supply at the community level. Community kitchen will provide freshly-cooked food with local material
Organization: Yayasan Bina Insan Hayati
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Yayasan Bina Insan Hayati
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Please select
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
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Shared backyard food gardens with community kitchen
Stage
Start-Up (a pilot that has just started operating)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
The existing groups of backyard food gardens provided portion of household needs of nutrients, mostly fruits and vegetables. They will be enhanced and organized to create closer-to-balance nutrient supply at the community level. Community kitchen will provide freshly-cooked food with local material
Problem
Low income families have limited resources to get nutrient-balance freshly-cooked food. The existing individually-managed backyard food gardens lack of protein supply and have unbalance supply of other nutrients. Join management at the community level and adding backyard livestock into the activities will rectify this. Household cooking is costly and burdensome encouraging people to consume instant food and sell their own fruits and vegetables
Solution
Community learning process on the importance of balance nutrients through freshly prepared or freshly cooked food should be facilitated. Institutional designing and building is necessary as the main prerequisites for community-level management of the backyard gardens and the kitchen. Technologies for backyard farming of crops and livestock should be demonstrated and practiced. Main infrastructure and equipment for the new activities, e.g. livestock farming and community kitchen, should be provided. Recruitment of necessary practicioners from inside or outside the community should be formulated in a participatory fashion. Additional funding should be self-sustained from income-generating activities, e.g. selling excess products/material.
Example
The current government-led project on backyard food gardens provide the household with the food material especially fruits and vegetables. The families become more self-sustaining for fruit and vegetable needs. Some excess supply may be sold or bartered. The practice might have helped the familis save their income and get better health and wellness. In some communities the gardens are managed individually, while in others they are managed in groups. The experiences in group-level management may be beneficial for further improvement to create expertise for community-level management. In all cases, cooking is done at household level. Instant food materials such as noodles, porridge, nuggets, and cereals are available and tempting
Impact
Cooking local material in the community kitchen will become a routine excitement. Community farmers and cooks will be recruited as volunteers or professionals. Community level management of the gardens and kitchen will be a challenging endeavour, creating new expertise useful for overall community affairs. The successful managers could be promoted into administrative or political positions at the village or higher levels. Change-making leaders will be recruited and trained systemically. Further social and cultural innovation will be created without imaginable limitation. The low income and marginal communities will have good vehicles for sustainable learning process, making them more creative and self sustaining. Politically this process will enhance the building of political independence and money-politics resistance. Horizontal cohesion under cultural diversity will be enhanced.
Marketplace
Ministry of Agriculture has facilitated the use of backyards as food gardens through the concept of Rumah Pangan Lestari (RPL) or Sustainable Food House (SFH). RPL is a residencial house utilizing the backyard optimally using local resources to provide sustainable supply of various good quality food material. In some areas RPLs have developed at community or village level to create Kawasan RPL (KRPL) or SFH Areas (SFHA). The main goal of the project is to create consumable supply of food material and marketable supply. It does not promote fresh cooking to avoid instant food material.
Sustainability Plan
he activities should be fiancially self-sustaining for the long term. If the coordinated gardens and community kitchens have reached a sizeable coverage, the economy of scale will work. The successful communities will become good models frequntly visited by government official and other community leaders. The experiences, products and expertise can be shared in a professional manner which may generate income for the people and communities.
Founding Story
Founder has meditated about the needs for locally run empowering institutions without political string. This thought has been induced from observation that most development agents are not politically independent and are not free from money politics. RPL and KRPL are good efforts but still need some improvement in terms of institutional setup and sustainability design. Exposure to the philosophy and methodology of Ashoka Changemakers as well as potential networks offered by the scheme prompted the founding of the project.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
The added capacity will improve the intensity and quality of interaction between our activists and the targeted people throuh more frequent visit, longer discussion and closer direct interaction. It will also improve the intensity and quality of learning process among the involved parties through additional scope and further indepth of activities. Furthermore, it will open new opportunities replicate the approach in other types of empowerment activities.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Every child should have access to fresh, nutritious, and delicious food at school to support healthy eating habits AND healthy food systems. The Food Family Farming Foundation provides the tools and resources to help schools nourish children's bodies, minds and futures.
Do you dig good food? We do too, literally. We're Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI), a nonprofit of 30,000 people growing our own healthy food and helping others to do the same. We're best known for having led the successful campaign for a kitchen garden at the White House. We're ready to grow!