Kroger Awarding Grants to Food Waste Innovators

The Kroger Co. has revealed the details of the up to $1 million in funding it will award to companies that can help advance its Zero Hunger, Zero Waste campaign goals, which aims to eliminate food waste and hunger in its communities by 2025. 

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen first mentioned the initiative at the National Retail Federation show last month, and is now calling for innovators to submit letters of intent before early March. 

Jessica Adelman, Kroger's group VP of corporate affairs, said the retailer is seeking to "partner with creative thinkers and innovators who share our vision for a better world." 

"We are committing up to $1 million in grants for the first cohort to inspire and capture the innovative thinking required to fix our country's hunger, food-waste paradox," she said.

Kroger will award grants ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 per project, with proposals being evaluated by directors of the retailer's Zero Hunger, Zero Waste campaign as well as an advisory council of leaders from World Wildlife Fund, Feeding America, ReFED, Kroger Technology and 84.51. 

The proposals will be judged on their potential positive impact as well as ease of implementation, geography and measurability and scalability. 

Grant recipients will be announced in the spring, and grantees will receive access to Kroger's partners, promotional content and the ability to apply for follow-on funding in addition to the cash.