Food Tank Think Tank Initiates Assessment of Innovation in the Food System Through Two Collaborative Efforts

CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Food Tank is launching two collaborative efforts over the next year with support from the McKnight Foundation. These projects will marshal increased awareness and research on democratizing innovation and true cost accounting while homing in on the Collaborative Crop Research Program's goal to collaborate with smallholder farmers, leading local researchers, and development practitioners while exploring solutions to sustainable, local food systems.

Food Tank will assess how agricultural innovation spreads among communities and countries in rich and poor countries alike and the potential for those practices to be replicated, scaled up, and used around the world. In addition, the organization will be working with collaborators and partners to highlight the work being done around true cost accounting in the food system.

The partnership will help significantly scale up, broaden, and deepen the interconnectedness of global agriculture problems through research, strategic collaborations, events, webinars, videos, databases, and more.

Throughout 2014-2015, noteworthy activities will include:

• Collaboration with experts and partners to share experiences and learn from one another
• Publication of Food Tank By The Numbers Reports
• Crowdsourcing innovations, practices, and knowledge around the two issue areas
• Contribution to McKnight's Agroecological exchange beta site
• A new innovations database, drawing on experts in food and agriculture
• Two live-streamed TedX-styled events, bringing together leading speakers on True Cost Accounting and thought leaders on Democratizing Innovation
• Infographics, videos, and webinars featuring relevant experts on True Cost Accounting and Democratizing Innovation

ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION
The McKnight Foundation (www.McKnight.org) seeks to improve the quality of life for present and future generations through grant-making, collaboration, and the encouragement of strategic policy reform. Founded in 1953 and independently endowed by William and Maude McKnight, the Minnesota-based family foundation had assets of approximately US$2 billion and granted about US$86 million in 2013.

ABOUT FOOD TANK
Food Tank (www.FoodTank.com) is a think tank focused on feeding the world better. We research and highlight environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty and create networks of people, organizations, and content to push for food system change.

CONTACT: Danielle Nierenberg at (202) 590-1037 or Email

SOURCE Food Tank