Feed the Future Recipe Contest: Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the holiday we all know and love without sweet potatoes. From casseroles to fries, we’re big fans. But did you know sweet potatoes are nutritious as well? So much so that the United States is helping poor people in other countries grow these vitamin A-rich vegetables, both to raise incomes and strengthen nutrition.

The U.S. Government’s Feed the Future initiative leads this work and many other projects like it, all with the aim of reducing global hunger, poverty and poor nutrition. The sweet potato is a great example of an innovation Feed the Future has worked with U.S. universities and the international research community to develop and share with people who can benefit most from growing and eating it.

To help raise awareness this holiday season about global hunger (and how solvable of a problem it is), we’re launching a recipe contest starring the mighty sweet potato. Send us your favorite recipe!

The contest is now closed. View the winning recipes here! 

Here’s how: First, read the submission requirements and contest rules below. Then, send your sweet potato-themed recipe (and any related media such as photos) to ftfrecipe@gmail.com.

All submissions are due via email by Tuesday, November 18, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. EST. From there, we’ll have our interagency panel of judges take a look and vote on their favorites. We’ll notify the winner(s) via email the following week and feature the winning recipe(s) in our Thanksgiving e-card, on social media, and on our blog. 

Submissions Requirements

• Recipe must be an original submission by the individual or organization sending in the recipe and you must not infringe on anyone else’s copyright (e.g. no copying from Pinterest unless it’s yours).
• Recipe must be submitted in English and should be no longer than 1,000 words.
• Recipe must include a full list of ingredients and measurements (in U.S. units) as well as specific cooking instructions.
• Recipes should not include brand names. Please list all ingredients using generic names only.
• Please include your name and home state in your submission. This will help our panel of judges select a winningrecipe from each region in the United States, if applicable.
• Submissions with high-quality and high-resolution photos and/or videos are highly recommended!

When you submit your recipe, let us know why it is important to you: Is there a story behind the recipe? Is it a family favorite? We’ll review your submission and share a roundup of the recipes we receive on the Feed the Future website and social media accounts. So win or lose, your recipe may be featured.

Please make sure you read all the contest rules below before submitting a recipe.

Contest Rules 

• Only one submission per individual is allowed. If there is a dispute about who submitted a recipe, we will consider the registered email or social media account holder as the submitter.
• We may reject, disqualify or disallow any submission we deem inappropriate, in violation of contest rules, or for any other reason in our sole and absolute discretion. We may, in our sole discretion, edit, adapt or modify your submission.
• Submission of a recipe and related media (photos, videos, etc.) constitutes your certification that it is your own original work and does not infringe the intellectual property or proprietary rights of any third party.
• You agree that USAID and/or other individual U.S. Government Feed the Future partners who use the recipe and related media will not be responsible for the infringement of any third party rights that may arise as a result of your actions or omissions.
• Your submission represents irrevocable consent that USAID and/or other individual U.S. Government Feed the Future partners may reproduce, publish and otherwise use your recipe and/or related media in materials (including digital and print media) related to Feed the Future.
• You agree to incur in full any costs associated with participation in this contest and to indemnify and hold harmless USAID from any claims, damages, liabilities, expenses or losses which arise from participation in this contest.
• You must be 18 or older to participate in this contest. To protect children’s privacy, please do not include any personally identifiable information about your child, such as names and addresses, in your submission. Do not include your child or other people in related material, such as photos.

By submitting a recipe and related material to this contest, you certify that you have read, agreed to, and are following all the submission requirements and contest rules listed above.

Want to contribute but don’t have a recipe that meets the contest criteria above? Share it with us on Twitter or Facebook to join the conversation on sweet potatoes and ending hunger!

Find out how Feed the Future is helping end global hunger.

Learn More About Sweet Potatoes and Nutrition

• 10 Reasons We’re Sweet on Sweet Potatoes and Why You Should Be Too!
• Beating Vitamin A Deficiency One Sweet Potato at a Time
• Feed the Future and Nutrition