Time is running out—only 9 days left to enter the 'Les Remarquables' Trophy competition, launched by the interprofession on April 15th. This prestigious award aims to spotlight innovations that enhance value and drive the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Categories include Marketing, Variety, Product, Service, Usage Experience, and Technology, with a focus on initiatives that stimulate consumption and deliver value to consumers.
Winners will be announced and honoured at SIAL Talks on October 23rd. 
The Les Remarquables Trophy is under the patronage of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.
Who can participate?
All professionals in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector are eligible. Whether your innovation comes from upstream (producer, shipper, seed grower, etc.) or downstream (wholesaler, distributor, importer, etc.), or even from logistics, catering, or the supply chain, if it enhances or revolutionizes how we consume fresh produce, it belongs among 'Les Remarquables'.
Selection criteria
Three key criteria will guide the selection process:
- Value Creation: The initiative must directly or indirectly stimulate fresh fruit and vegetable consumption.
- Impact: Economic, social, and environmental outcomes will be closely evaluated.
- Novelty: The project should introduce something new or groundbreaking in its field.
Categories
You can submit your project in up to two of the following four categories:
- Open Innovation: Collaborative projects with partners outside the company or industry (e.g., research, startups, solution providers)
- Continuous Improvement: Initiatives that significantly enhance business performance (social, economic, or environmental) or that of the sector.
- Cross-Industry: Projects resulting from collaboration between different industry sectors.
- New Use: Innovations that directly renew the consumer experience.
Application requirements
Submissions must relate to a fresh fruit and vegetable product and be made by a sector professional. The product should be deployed in France, either by the applicant or in close collaboration, and must show qualitative and quantitative results or initial proof of concept with at least three years of pilot data.
Innovation Club
The Les Remarquables Trophy is part of the Innovation Club, launched earlier this year. This club brings together various professional organizations within the interprofessional to support industry innovation and relay operator achievements.
What's next?
Beyond the award ceremony in October, winners will have opportunities for further promotion at events organized by Interfel's regional delegations and at major trade fairs where Interfel is present, such as SIA, Tech'n'Bio, SIRHA, and SIVAL.
Winners will also gain media exposure, with journalists invited to the ceremony and a press kit featuring the winners. Additionally, they will benefit from web and social media visibility, with promotional content shared across Interfel's Twitter and LinkedIn accounts to amplify their success.
Key dates
- Technical Pre-selection Committee: September 9, 2024
- Jury of Professionals and Experts: September 23, 2024
For more information:
Interfel
Application (until August 30)
[email protected]
www.Interfel.com
Photo: Dreamstime