Still Good, Loop Mission win Food Waste Reduction Challenge

Loop Mission and Still Good win this year’s Food Waste Reduction Challenge in the Business Models Streams.

The Challenge, launched in November 2020, supports high-impact solutions to food waste in Canada. The Business Models Streams focus on business model solutions that can prevent or divert food waste at any point in the food chain, from farm to plate.

“Through important initiatives like the Food Waste Reduction Challenge, we’re working to find effective solutions to reduce food waste on a large scale, so more of the top-quality food our farmers produce doesn’t go to waste and ends up where it belongs – on the kitchen tables of Canadian families. Congratulations to Loop Mission and Still Good for your work to develop cutting-edge solutions to help tackle food waste in Canada,” said Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Loop Mission is a Montreal-based circular economy company that creates products from food that would otherwise go to waste, like cold-pressed juice. The company leveraged its expertise to create Loop Synergies—a line of ingredients made from rejected food, that would otherwise be wasted, that food processors can easily integrate into diverse food products. With support from the Challenge, Loop Mission will scale its Loop Synergies line, enabling more food processors to join the movement to reduce food waste in Canada.

“Loop Mission is well aware of the scale of food waste in Canada, which is why we have created a collaborative movement to mobilize the food industry in support of food waste reduction. Thanks to this award, we will be able to intensify our efforts and continue to innovate by developing revalourized ingredients that can be adapted to meet the needs of the industry. We are honoured by this recognition and look forward to multiplying our impact,” said Julie Poitras-Saulnier, co-founder and CEO, Loop Mission.

Based in Montreal, Still Good develops business solutions for companies to transform nutrient-rich by-products that would otherwise go to waste to new food products, through a holistic approach called eco-valuation. For example, Still Good developed technology to turn spent brewers’ grain from local microbreweries into flour, which is high in protein, fibre and essential minerals. With support from the Challenge, Still Good will scale its business model to create eco-valuation or upcycling hubs across Canada. This will allow food processors to build on and replicate this solution to reduce food waste.

“Thank you to AAFC and the members of the external review committee for recognizing the qualities of our business model and salute the work of all the finalists. This recognition will certainly enable us to promote the countless opportunities available to catalyze the creation of innovative projects aimed at transforming food residues, helping companies achieve their ESG objectives, and consolidating our research and development efforts,” said Jonathan Rodrigue, co-founder and CEO, Still Good.

Loop Mission and Still Good will each receive a grand prize of up to $1.5 million to grow and scale their food waste solutions.