Ellen MacArthur Foundation Big Food Redesign Challenge Inspires New Nature-Minded Food and Drink Products

Consumers can now tickle their taste buds with new nature-minded food and drink products showcased in an international challenge run by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The Big Food Redesign Challenge invited entrants to redesign existing items — or create entirely new ones — using circular economy principles that help to regenerate nature by incorporating principles such as diversified crops, upcycled ingredients and lower-impact and regenerative methods of farming.

The challenge, launched in partnership with the U.K. based nonprofit Sustainable Food Trust, received more than 400 applications from producers, start-ups, suppliers and retailers across the globe and resulted in 141 products from 57 companies in 12 countries.

Chips made from fonio, a sustainable grain from West Africa; banana snacks that incorporate the use of the peel; and “cloud forest crunchies” that include a range of agroforestry ingredients are among the concepts from U.S.-based companies. First teased at New York Climate Week, these and other products will be available online and through select retailers over the next few months.

Launched in May 2023 with support from the Schmidt Family Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the challenge has highlighted the approaches companies took to create new products through a video series “Redesigning Food: Behind the Scenes”that covers producers from Kenya to Mexico to Britain.

Working with Brooklyn, N.Y.-based HowGood, the foundation said it has been able to use data to support participants in measuring and improving their environmental impact.

“Regenerating nature lies at the heart of the circular economy and is vital to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss,” said Jonquil Hackenberg, chief executive officer of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “How we produce and consume food is one of the most powerful ways we can do that, and the products in the challenge have shown this is possible. By rethinking the ingredients and their production, participants demonstrated that through intentional design choices, we can produce food that helps nature to thrive — unlike today’s current food system, which tends to make nature fit our needs. Now we’ve shown what is possible, it’s time to take bold steps and build a new food system that is better for people, nature and climate.”

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international NGO whose mission is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy to tackle issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution.

“Circularity in the food system is achievable,” said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder and president of the Schmidt Family Foundation. “The Big Food Redesign Challenge has demonstrated that we can make delicious food that is good for farmers and growers, good for the planet, good for our health — and good for business. We can recreate the food system, from seed to shelf, eliminate waste in production and consumption and deliver nutritious food to benefit both people and planet.”

The project also unveiled a new “Nature in Mind” logo, designed to allow retailers the opportunity to identify food and drinks selected as part of the challenge both in-store and online.

To get involved in supporting the challenge or see a full list of selected products, click here.