Home ›› 01 Mar 2023 ›› Corporate
Five young entrepreneurs were awarded in ‘Food Frontiers 2.0’, an innovation challenge, which aimed at identifying ways to reach lower-income consumers with nutritious food products.
The whole process of the contest came to an end with the declaration of the award at a function at a hotel in the capital on Monday evening, said a press statement.
Five entrepreneurs in three categories and one individual in a special category were finally declared winners.
In the Inclusive Business Model category, Agriventure became the champion and was awarded $10,000 while Farmzila became a runner-up and won $5,000. In the Disruptive Technological Innovation category, Cookants won $8,000 as the champion and Krishi Swapno won $3,000 as the runner up. Also, in the Innovative Marketing category, the champion Konna Wellbeing was awarded $5,000.
Besides, team ‘Happy Street’ got the Youth Recognition Award $2500 in the Food Systems Innovation category. This award was given as part of honouring and encouraging those youths who are working with the food system.
The pre-seed funds were given among the winners for implementing business plans, expansion of the business, and infrastructure development.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, MP, as the chief guest handed over the awards among the recipients.
Ashek Mahfuz, portfolio lead of Large-Scale Food Fortification and Value Chain of GAIN, and S M Mahmudul Hasan, acting coordinator, SUN Business Network, GAIN gave the welcome addresses on the occasion.
Chaired by Kazi Jebunnesa Begum, additional secretary of Health and Family Welfare Ministry and Country Focal of SUN Bangladesh, Sykh Seraj, director and head of news of Channel I, Dr Rudaba Khondker, country director of GAIN Bangladesh, Professor Dr Lutful Hasan, vice chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Md Ruhul Amin Talukder, additional secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Nurul Ghani Shovon, president of National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh, also spoke at the event.
Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network, which is co-convened by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), a Switzerland-based international organisation, and World Food Programme (WFP) jointly organised the contest.
The contest aimed at building the capacity of young entrepreneurs on a sustainable food systems approach and business skills for managing social enterprise. The objective is to support innovative business models and technology-based solutions that could be implemented to increase access to nutritious foods.
The entrepreneurs who showed their capacities regarding new innovative models and technological solutions for the supply of safe and nutritious foods and encouraged the intake of those foods were considered qualified in the contest.
As part of the contest, a three-day residential boot camp session and an ‘Investors’ Night’ were held earlier.
Addressing at the award giving event, Arnoud Hameleers, country director of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and one of the judges of the contest, said “Investing in these young entrepreneurs and their innovations is the only sustainable approach to ensure sustainable food system that leaves no one behind.”
Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, in his address, said “The youth need to come forward with innovation to ensure nutritious food for all.”
National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Agricultural University were the strategic partners of this event.
