{"article":{"annotation":{"article_id":"qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste","available_at":"2026-10-25T01:05:57.084939Z","geography_revision":"ef6ee0010dda5fe7b240fd514749b43e214c57da73222d2e40ec83b276dd0977","id":"1e92033d83a2c02e781efc55fa330a601e79f3d0df94de981c5bf9f10c716c4d","input_sha256":"e4badf32547a0d04d97bc8426f9cc97ff687e3f717f932a76917d94dc0e0b0ef","limitations":["Rule-derived subjects are candidates, not verified editorial labels or calibrated model probabilities.","Coverage is distinct from event location. Unknown country/city/coordinates remain absent; no automatic geocoding.","Article geometries keep their stated precision and methodology; reproducing them is not independent coordinate verification."],"method":"controlled-rules-v1","places":[{"admin1":null,"city":null,"coordinate_note":null,"coordinate_reference_system":"OGC:CRS84","coordinate_source":null,"country":"SA","evidence":[{"field":"country","language":"en","note":"Explicit preserved editorial country/region; no city or national centroid inferred","source_urls":["https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709446","https://www.qu.edu.sa/en/news/81821/","https://www.qu.edu.sa/news/80583/"]}],"geometry":null,"id":"iso3166-1:SA","kind":"country-or-area","labels":{"ar":"المملكة العربية السعودية","en":"Saudi Arabia","es":"Arabia Saudita","fr":"Arabie saoudite"},"match_status":"candidate","precision":"regional","role":"coverage","uncertainty_m":null}],"rules_sha256":"fb5ad3c27c91cb840f7a0a05f7f64a5cb26ad0374409ff9457f277c7092e22b4","schema_version":1,"subjects":[{"concept_id":"medtop:20000210","confidence":null,"confidence_method":null,"evidence":[{"field":"category+topics","language":"en","note":"Preserved editorial category/topic; broad candidate only","source_urls":["https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709446","https://www.qu.edu.sa/en/news/81821/","https://www.qu.edu.sa/news/80583/"]}],"method":"controlled-rules-v1","rule_id":"agriculture-broad","status":"candidate"},{"concept_id":"medtop:13000000","confidence":null,"confidence_method":null,"evidence":[{"field":"en.title+en.summary","language":"en","note":"Subject suggested from the title or summary: technology","source_urls":["https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709446","https://www.qu.edu.sa/en/news/81821/","https://www.qu.edu.sa/news/80583/"]}],"method":"controlled-rules-v1","rule_id":"technology","status":"candidate"}],"taxonomy_revision":"1f2db31d811fca07e99b16d402c10e2cc2965c9df1c7b41d9be348b40a24e7fb","taxonomy_version":"IPTC Media Topics 2026-Q2"},"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste?lang=en","category":"agriculture","content":{"key_points":[],"paragraphs":["Qassim University concluded a two-day hackathon on reducing food loss and waste, with 50 ideas selected for a final ceremony from more than 220 submissions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on October 25, 2026. The event was organised by the university’s Institute for Studies and Consulting Services in cooperation with the General Food Security Authority.","The 50 finalists were distributed across five tracks, with 25 in-person and 25 remote entries. The source says the submissions aimed to develop practical solutions across five stages of the food value chain. It does not name the winning teams or describe the solutions selected for the final ceremony.","Organisers linked the event to the use of technology, data and artificial intelligence to improve supply chains and measure food-loss and waste indicators. The stated goal is to build practical approaches to reducing losses across the chain. The report does not specify which technologies participants used, what indicators were applied or whether any prototype has been tested outside the event.","The programme is associated with Letadom, Saudi Arabia’s National Program to Reduce Food Loss and Waste, and the broader goals of Vision 2030. The announcement gives counts of submitted and shortlisted ideas, but no baseline for food loss, target reduction, implementation budget or timetable for putting ideas into practice.","The distinction between entries and tested interventions matters: a hackathon submission is an idea, not evidence that food waste has already fallen. The 50 finalists show the size of the pool advancing to the event’s final stage, while the reported total of more than 220 indicates the initial volume of submissions. Neither count measures the effect of the ideas.","The next useful evidence would be the final selection, details of any winning projects and whether the organisers provide support for testing or adoption. In the October 25 report, those outcomes were not yet described. The release documents an innovation event and its participation figures, rather than verified changes in food supply chains or waste levels.","A separate Qassim University account published on October 22 provides context on how the idea pool was assembled. It says more than 220 ideas were received after a selection process involving 600 submissions, with more than 100 mentors and judges available to support development. The university said the event covered five stages of the food value chain and was organised with the General Authority for Food Security; Bank Albilad also described itself as a partner. These figures refer to the university account and should not be merged with the later SPA report's 50 finalists, split evenly between in-person and remote participation."],"sections":[]},"corrections":[],"country":"SA","data":{"blocks":[{"description":{"ar":"أعداد الأفكار والمتأهلين في هاكاثون القصيم.","de":"Zahlen zu Ideen und Finalisten des Hackathons in Qassim.","en":"Idea and finalist counts from the Qassim hackathon.","es":"Número de ideas y finalistas del hackatón de Qassim.","fr":"Nombre d’idées et de finalistes du hackathon de Qassim.","pt":"Contagens de ideias e finalistas do hackathon de Qassim.","tr":"Kasım hackathonundaki fikir ve finalist sayıları."},"id":"hackathon-participation","items":[{"basis":"observed","label":{"ar":"أفكار مقدمة","de":"Eingereichte Ideen","en":"Ideas submitted","es":"Ideas presentadas","fr":"Idées soumises","pt":"Ideias submetidas","tr":"Fikir başvurusu"},"measure":{"aggregation":"flow","frequency":"irregular","geography":"saudi-arabia","id":"qassim-food-loss-ideas","periodRole":"announcement-date","unitCode":"count"},"period":"2026-10-25","unit":"count","value":220,"valueQualifier":"lower-bound"},{"basis":"observed","label":{"ar":"أفكار تأهلت للنهائي","de":"Für das Finale ausgewählte Ideen","en":"Ideas advanced to final","es":"Ideas que avanzaron a la final","fr":"Idées retenues pour la finale","pt":"Ideias que avançaram à final","tr":"Finale kalan fikir"},"measure":{"aggregation":"flow","frequency":"irregular","geography":"saudi-arabia","id":"qassim-food-loss-finalists","periodRole":"announcement-date","unitCode":"count"},"period":"2026-10-25","unit":"count","value":50,"valueQualifier":"exact"}],"methodology":{"ar":"عدد الأفكار المقدمة؛ ولا يقيس حلولاً مختبرة أو انخفاضاً في الفاقد الغذائي.","de":"Zählt eingereichte Ideen; misst keine getesteten Lösungen oder verringerten Verluste.","en":"Counts submitted ideas; it does not measure tested solutions or reduced food loss.","es":"Cuenta ideas presentadas; no mide soluciones probadas ni reducción de pérdidas.","fr":"Nombre d’idées soumises; ne mesure pas les solutions testées ni la réduction des pertes.","pt":"Conta ideias submetidas; não mede soluções testadas nem redução de perdas.","tr":"Katılımcı fikirlerin sayısıdır; test edilmiş çözümleri veya gıda kaybı azaltımını ölçmez."},"sourceUrls":["https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709446","https://www.qu.edu.sa/en/news/81821/","https://www.qu.edu.sa/news/80583/"],"title":{"ar":"أفكار للحد من فاقد الغذاء","de":"Ideen zur Verringerung von Lebensmittelverlusten","en":"Food-loss reduction ideas","es":"Ideas para reducir la pérdida de alimentos","fr":"Idées de réduction des pertes alimentaires","pt":"Ideias para reduzir perdas de alimentos","tr":"Gıda kaybını azaltma 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Press Agency (Qassim University and General Food Security Authority)","publishedAt":"2026-10-25","url":"https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709446"},{"checkedAt":"2026-10-25","name":"Qassim University","publishedAt":"2026-10-22","url":"https://www.qu.edu.sa/en/news/81821/"},{"checkedAt":"2026-10-25","name":"Qassim University event announcement","publishedAt":"2026-09-29","url":"https://www.qu.edu.sa/news/80583/"}],"summary":"The two-day event focused on using technology and data across five stages of the food value chain.","text":"The two-day event focused on using technology and data across five stages of the food value chain.\n\nQassim University concluded a two-day hackathon on reducing food loss and waste, with 50 ideas selected for a final ceremony from more than 220 submissions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on October 25, 2026. The event was organised by the university’s Institute for Studies and Consulting Services in cooperation with the General Food Security Authority.\n\nThe 50 finalists were distributed across five tracks, with 25 in-person and 25 remote entries. The source says the submissions aimed to develop practical solutions across five stages of the food value chain. It does not name the winning teams or describe the solutions selected for the final ceremony.\n\nOrganisers linked the event to the use of technology, data and artificial intelligence to improve supply chains and measure food-loss and waste indicators. The stated goal is to build practical approaches to reducing losses across the chain. The report does not specify which technologies participants used, what indicators were applied or whether any prototype has been tested outside the event.\n\nThe programme is associated with Letadom, Saudi Arabia’s National Program to Reduce Food Loss and Waste, and the broader goals of Vision 2030. The announcement gives counts of submitted and shortlisted ideas, but no baseline for food loss, target reduction, implementation budget or timetable for putting ideas into practice.\n\nThe distinction between entries and tested interventions matters: a hackathon submission is an idea, not evidence that food waste has already fallen. The 50 finalists show the size of the pool advancing to the event’s final stage, while the reported total of more than 220 indicates the initial volume of submissions. Neither count measures the effect of the ideas.\n\nThe next useful evidence would be the final selection, details of any winning projects and whether the organisers provide support for testing or adoption. In the October 25 report, those outcomes were not yet described. The release documents an innovation event and its participation figures, rather than verified changes in food supply chains or waste levels.\n\nA separate Qassim University account published on October 22 provides context on how the idea pool was assembled. It says more than 220 ideas were received after a selection process involving 600 submissions, with more than 100 mentors and judges available to support development. The university said the event covered five stages of the food value chain and was organised with the General Authority for Food Security; Bank Albilad also described itself as a partner. These figures refer to the university account and should not be merged with the later SPA report's 50 finalists, split evenly between in-person and remote participation.","title":"Qassim food-waste hackathon advanced 50 ideas from more than 220 submissions","topics":[],"translations":[{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste?lang=tr","language":"tr","url":"https://newsverum.com/tr/news/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste?lang=en","language":"en","url":"https://newsverum.com/en/news/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste?lang=ar","language":"ar","url":"https://newsverum.com/ar/news/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste?lang=fr","language":"fr","url":"https://newsverum.com/fr/news/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste?lang=es","language":"es","url":"https://newsverum.com/es/news/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste?lang=de","language":"de","url":"https://newsverum.com/de/news/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste?lang=pt","language":"pt","url":"https://newsverum.com/pt/news/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste"}],"url":"https://newsverum.com/en/news/qassim-hackathon-gets-220-ideas-to-cut-food-loss-and-waste"},"version":"1"}