December 10, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Tech Museum of Innovation, in San Jose, Calif., has presented its annual awards honoring the creative use of technology to benefit societies around the world.
PATH, an international-aid organization in Seattle, won the health award for Ultra Rice, manufactured rice grains it developed that are fortified with key vitamins and minerals, such as iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin A. Made from rice flour, the product does not involve genetic engineering. The manufactured grains are added to standard rice. Which nutrients are added and at what levels can be tailored to meet the deficiencies common in the region where it is distributed.
“Micronutrient malnutrition actually underlies a lot of the diseases that kids get in the developing world,” says Dipika M. Matthias, project director for the Ultra Rice program.
Other nonprofit winners include:
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World of Good Development Organization, in Emeryville, Calif., which won the equality award for its Fair Wage Guide Software, a free online tool producers, buyers, and consumers can use to make sure that artisans in developing countries receive a fair price for their crafts.
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The Akshaya Patra Foundation, in Bangalore, India, which won the education award for a feeding program that uses customized kitchen equipment to provide nutritious school lunches to more than one million poor children, allowing them to stay in school and improve their academic performance.
Each award carries a $50,000 cash prize.
For more information: Go to http://www.techawards.org.
