BERKELEY, Calif., — Although many people seem more interested in eating bread than tracking where it came from, researching the true costs of a loaf of bread gained ground today when Sustainable Ventures announced expanded registration for its $10,000 prize “Our Daily Bread: What Does It REALLY Cost?”

There are now two dates that qualified individual candidates or teams of researchers can submit papers for prize consideration – April 26th or August 23rd:

• April 26th/Track 1: Individuals and/or teams who deliver the first drafts of research papers by April 26th will be considered for attendance at the June 5th Candidate’s Forum at Tufts University in the Boston area. Sustainable Ventures will sponsor one team leader and/or individual participant for each paper.
  
• August 23rd/Track 2: Candidates who produce final papers by August 23rd may be considered for the $10,000 prize to be awarded in the fall of 2006.

“We decided to expand our candidate base to ensure that the best and brightest people will have a chance to produce their innovative ideas and do thorough research,” said Theo Ferguson, creator of the prize. “This is a groundbreaking opportunity to make a difference in how we think about and measure the true costs that go into producing a loaf of bread. With these tools, people can make more informed choices in their selection and use of products and services.

“Throughout the award process, a Candidate Online Forum is available on Sustainable Ventures’ website to anyone interested in the prize. The Online Forum is designed to encourage participants to work in teams, add materials for discussion and initiate and participate in new discussion topics.

The winning study will provide an analytical framework of “integrated performance” metrics. These metrics include social, environmental and financial costs associated with a loaf of bread. Following the award of the prize, Sustainable Ventures will begin planning for an Implementation Forum to disseminate the findings.

More information is available at: http://www.sustainableventures.us or by contacting the prize creator: [email protected]..

About Sustainable Ventures

Sustainable Ventures is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and educating beneficial owners – the people who have pension and trust funds invested in their names – to take an active role in the management of their investments. The outcomes of “Our Daily Bread” will enable beneficial owners – as well as the general public – to have more influence in their financial affairs by encouraging fund managers or directly using integrated performance metrics for a “sustainable bottom line.”