America Sustainable Food Systems Initiative

Overview

Danone Institute North America announces a request for proposals for the third offering of its DINA Sustainable Food Systems Initiative (formerly the One Planet. One Health Initiative). The goal of the DINA Sustainable Food Systems Initiative is to foster transdisciplinary, community-based work to promote sustainable food systems that impact human nutrition and health.

This initiative will provide seed funding for projects such as pilot studies, feasibility testing, needs assessments and planning grants. Teams may use this grant mechanism to supplement current funding from other sources, but new project aims must be developed for the DINA Sustainable Food Systems Initiative funding.

Objectives :

• Advance Danone’s frame of action through innovative, actionable North America-focused initiatives to promote sustainable food systems that reflect that the health and nutrition of people and the health of the planet are interconnected. Examples of focus areas include: the impact of regenerative agriculture on health behaviors; measurement and mitigation of carbon footprint in a health-focused food system such as university dining or a food bank; reducing food waste as an aspect of a public health nutrition program; closing food systems gaps that prevent equitable and sustainable access to healthy food; and promotion of sustainable, accessible and balanced dietary patterns that help improve short-term and long-term health across the lifespan.
• Foster a new generation of transdisciplinary thought leaders working together and advocating for food systems solutions that can benefit the health and nutrition of the public.
• Amplify the understanding of the relationship between sustainable food systems and human nutrition and health among key decision-makers and the public.
• Forge new networks and collaborative relationships among Danone North America, Danone Institute North America, academic institutions in North America, community groups involved with food sustainability issues, health and nutrition of the population, and broader food systems disciplines.

To be eligible for this initiative, each team must meet the following requirements:

• Teams should include four core team members representing diverse disciplines related to food systems, including, but not limited to, nutrition, health, economics, agriculture, community food access and social or environmental sciences. 
• At least one team member must be a faculty member from a U.S. or Canadian institution of higher education. 

Indirect or overhead costs may not be included in the budget and funding does not allow for faculty salary support.

Project period: The awards will cover a 24-month period for implementing and evaluating projects. 

Number of awards: 5

As part of the initiative, selected teams will participate in a four-day in-person program in October 2023, which will conclude with teams presenting a communications plan to support their project to a panel of experts. The team that presents the strongest communication plan as determined by the panel will be awarded an additional USD 10,000 prize.