The Utah State University Hunger Solutions Institute operates multiple initiatives to combat food insecurity and food waste, including the NourishTank student competition and the NourishSmart educational program. These efforts focus on fostering innovation through entrepreneurship and providing community-based tools to reduce waste and improve nutrition across Utah.
NourishTank Competition Details
The NourishTank student competition serves as an annual event designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and sustainable solutions to address hunger. Functioning as a SharkTank-style event, the competition provides a platform for emerging entrepreneurs and change-makers to showcase groundbreaking ideas intended to tackle malnutrition and food insecurity.
2025 Competition Results
During the 2025 competition cycle, the theme focused on Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change. The event reached its conclusion on April 17, 2025, during the Utah State University Food Security and Solutions Symposium. The Walipini Impact team, composed of Jessie Miller, Sam Kelley, Tifiny Mills, and Jonathan Bundy, was named the grand prize winner of the 2025 competition.
Judging and Awards
The competition structure involves selecting five finalist teams to present their ideas to a diverse panel of judges. This panel is composed of experts from across the food system spectrum, including representatives from academia, agriculture, business, government, non-profit organizations, environmental science, and health and nutrition. This diverse expertise ensures that all proposals receive a 360-degree evaluation regarding food security challenges and opportunities.
Prize Structure
Financial incentives are provided to winners of the NourishTank competition. The first-place winner receives a $1,000 cash prize and the potential to enact their plan with assistance from the Hunger Solutions Institute. The first runner-up is awarded $500, while the third, fourth, and fifth place winners each receive $200.
NourishSmart Program Focus
Complementing the competitive aspect of the institute is the NourishSmart program, which is designed to address hunger and food waste within Utah communities. This program provides various resources and tools to help people of all ages, with a specific emphasis on youth, to more effectively reduce food waste and mitigate food insecurity through source reduction.
Educational Resources
The NourishSmart initiative includes several educational components, such as school-based food waste audits. These audits provide practical resources, research sheets, and intervention tools for parents, community members, and school staff to measure and reduce waste in local school environments.
Curriculum and Media Content
The institute also provides a curriculum consisting of four lessons intended for classroom use. These lessons can be adjusted based on available time and resources and cover topics such as the origins of food, the environmental impact of food waste, and methods for reducing waste at home and in school. Additionally, the program features the Wasteless Plate and Green Apron video series, which demonstrate how to use food parts typically thrown away, such as peels or stems, to create nutritious meals.
