2020 Arrell Global Food Innovation Award Winners
Meet the 2020 winners of the Arrell Global Food Innovation Awards.
See Past WinnersInnovative leaders in an increasingly complex food system.
Congratulations Appetite for Change (Community Award),
Community Food Centres Canada (Community Award)
and Dr. Rattan Lal (Research Award).
Appetite for Change
Appetite for Change makes a difference in North Minneapolis, using food as a vehicle for building health and social justice in their community. The organization operates urban farm plots, workshops developing food skills, youth training, and facilitates networking for activists. The organization uniquely focuses on helping community members generate wealth, and one of the ways they do this is providing certified kitchen space for local food entrepreneurs to develop products.
“We are grateful to be recognized by Arrell with this amazing award. We’ve been told that self care starts in the kitchen or garden. The work we do is centered in these places that make up our foundation. Food is how we begin our days, it provides the nourishment we need to be our authentic selves and fulfill a greater purpose. This award is evidence that people understand and support our mission to use food as a tool to build health, wealth, and social change and, at the end of the day, continue with the work of getting real food to real people.”
Princess Haley
AFC Co-Founder
Community Food Centres Canada
Community Food Centres Canada uses meals as a catalyst for greater change in the food system. Through 13 centres across Canada they provide access to healthy meals, but the spaces are also used to teach food skills as well as provide culturally appropriate and safe respite for community members. Their affordable produce markets help more people access nutritious food. The organization uses its platform to generate awareness and encourage action around food security, through events like the Big Social taking place online this year.
“Community Food Centres Canada is grateful to be the recipient of this Arrell Food Innovation Award. When the organization was established in 2012, we never dreamed we would come so far so fast. What we discovered was the beginning of a national movement aligned around a vision of good food for all, but often lacking the capacity to implement healthy food programs and activate communities. It’s exciting to now be working with strong partners across the country to create health and belonging as well as a shared voice that is calling for equity and justice.”
Dr. Rattan Lal
Dr. Rattan Lal is a world-leading soil scientist with a tremendous body of published work used by students around the world. Dr. Rattan is currently a Distinguished University Professor at The Ohio State University, and his career has spanned over fifty years and across six continents. His award-winning research focused on a soil-centric approach to agriculture sustainability and prosperity that has become even more vital in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
“Saving land and water for nature by narrowing the yield gap, and advancing the premise that ‘health of soil, plants, animals, people, and the environment is one and indivisible’ is why I do this research. Sustainable soil and agriculture are also important to achieving Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality targets of the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification”