Ten teams vied for the top awards at STHIRA, an innovation challenge co-organized by Foodwize and the University of Gastronomic Sciences at The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU) in Bangalore. The event brought together 150+ students, representing 58 teams from 27 universities across 10 states in India, showcasing the diverse and multidisciplinary importance of food.
The top three winners were:
Team A^3 from XIM University, Bhubaneswar
Topic: Food Education & Climate Change
Project: Nutri Quest – An interactive board game raising awareness of micronutrients and their importance.
Team Eco Harvest Innovators from Avinashilingam Institute of Home Sciences
Topic: Stronger Supply Chains for Small Growers
Project: Tomato Sheets – An innovative solution to reduce food waste and improve distribution for smallholder farmers.
Team Sage from XIM University, Bhubaneswar
Topic: Sustainable Packaging
Project: An eco-friendly storage box inspired by the Afghan “Kangina” technique to extend the shelf life of perishable goods.
Other notable innovations were:
Parafilm is an innovative bioplastic made from the odd mixture of feathers, keratin, and pineapple. It creatively uses by-products from the food industry. They developed ‘Stin starch’ from pineapple with an impressive purity content of 97.7%. This innovation is a cheaper and more sustainable substitute for the starch products available in the markets today, potentially revolutionizing several sectors.
But the heart of the program belonged to the presentations given by the finalist teams, each unique and creative in bringing special solutions to the table. The first team came up with “
Nutriquest offers a holistic approach to food education. It combines online and offline factors: an interactive game, besides informational cards with messages in English, Hindi, and Odia. Curricula work with Wipro CSR and Sristi showed that partnership would be a part of changing the system to work for the long term.
A bioplastic film called “Sustainable Stewardess” is made from potato starch. Their idea was to convert waste into useful products, following the principles of circular economy. This presentation helped discuss how it was important to balance innovation with food security.
IIHM Goa addressed the problems of water logging in coastal Karnataka and Goa. The holistic approach showed how a deep understanding of local challenges and ecosystem dynamics is critical for building creative solutions. They demonstrated the need for combining aquaculture and agriculture in sustainable ways in flood-prone areas.
The jury members, who were experts in different fields, were:
Nagaraja Prakasam is an author of Back of Bharat: In Search of a Sustainable Future and an angel investor, is known for his pioneering work in sustainable entrepreneurship;
Chef-entrepreneur Abhijit Saha is the first Indian chef to join the global initiative that commits to a sustainable culinary practice.
Arshiya Bose is the founder of Black Baza Coffee is a conservationist.
Abdul Kareem is the Associate Professor at TDU, is an ethnobiologist
The Sustainable Food Innovation Challenge 2024 was more than just the competition. It was a celebration of youths’ ingenuity. It offered a peek into the future of sustainable food systems, which thus underlines the relevance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in dealing with all the global sustainability challenges. From biodegradable packaging to novel farming techniques and educational tools, each project presented here offers a unique piece of the puzzle as one builds towards a more sustainable and food-secure future.
The finalists were judged by experts from India and Italy, presenting game-changing ideas to make the food system more sustainable, healthy, and inclusive. Priya Joshi, UNISG Alumna and Srijata Sengupta, co-founders of Foodwize, who put the competition together said it is important to reimagine food education and the skills that will become critical for a more resilient future of food.
Alice Tondella – UNISG Executive Committee Member, said she was inspired to see the innovative solutions—some rooted in traditional practices, others forward-looking—that can reshape our food systems.
With inputs from Kartik Shukla, intern at SustainabilityNext
