The IFT Student Association (IFTSA) is committed to engaging student members from around the world to utilize their scientific skills to serve a bigger cause. The IFTSA Developing Solutions for Developing Countries (DSDC) product development competition promotes the application of food science and technology and the development of new products and processes that are targeted at improving the quality of life for people in developing countries.
The Developing Solutions for Developing Countries competition is sponsored by Feeding Tomorrow Fund.
2023–2024 Winners
- First Place: Newbies (Drasties), IPB University in Indonesia
- Second Place: GreenAmbrosia, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Monterrey
- Third Place: PATH (Frutta-Sorgho), Montana State University
Awards
Each finalist team will receive a reimbursement for team travel and registration to IFT FIRST up to $1,800. Winners will be announced at the IFTSA Closing Ceremony. Prize amounts are as follows.
- First Place: $3,000
- Second Place: $1,500
- Third Place: $500
Eligibility
Teams for this competition should have at least one Institute of Food Technologists student member at the time of submission. All team members must be students enrolled in the fall semester of the competition year. There may be only five submissions from each institution. Complete eligibility details are included in the competition guidelines document.
2023-2024 Theme
Facing the challenges of record-level inflation and escalating import taxes, developing countries are pushed to innovate food products. Create a food product sourced entirely from local ingredients, with packaging easily produced within a selected developing country.
2023-2024 Theme Criteria
- Is your product for a developing country? Raw materials from which the product is made must be native to a developing country, refer to this broad list of potential developing countries.
- Will the demand for imported products realistically go down when this new product is launched? Your new product should replicate the important selling-points of current imports from the perspective of consumers.
- Could it be realistically produced and sourced in the country? The efficiency and feasibility of the proposed processing methods and supply chains for the raw materials should be practical.
- Can your product support itself financially? The product and its packaging should be economically sustainable.
2023–2024 Competition Submission and Deadlines
Preliminary applications for this competition close February 1, 2024
Finalist Application Deadline: May 1, 2024
Sample Verification Letter (PDF)
Competition Chair
Toyosi Timilehin George, Texas A&M University