The AIIRA Writing Contest 2022
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Agriculture, and the Future of Food in 2050
Contest Details
We invite contestants to submit writing that imagines the world in the year 2050 and explores the relationship between humans, technology, and their food: what will food look, taste, and feel like; where will it come from; who will produce and transport it; and how will we access and consume it? The world you bring to light should be believable and probe the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the future of agriculture.
Your submission can be fiction or creative non-fiction, but keep in mind that the strongest submissions will use research to support the reality described. In your writing, you can either:
- Write a letter describing a meal you have had recently and imagine the technology used to produce that meal (letters may be addressed to persons in the future, such as a great-grandchild, or to persons of the past, such as an old acquaintance or deceased relative); or
- Create a menu or recipe that features various dishes and describes the sourcing and production of the ingredients, as if you are a restaurant owner that values transparency.
Writing Samples
- Examples of food and drink essay:
Elite Meat
by Dana Goodyear;Narrative Menus: 'Creating Cocktails Is an Artform'
by Annie Hayes;From Farm to Table
by Rowan Jacobsen - Examples of narrative recipes and menus:
'Balms Not Bombs' and 'Crab King'
by Sung Uni Lee; The Strand Restaurant Menu; Osteria Francescana;Sweet Tooth
by Delaney Burk - Examples of epistolary prose:
Letter to My Son
by Ta-Nehisi Coates;Breathe: A Letter to My Sons
by Imani Perry - Examples of personal essay:
The Chicken Project
by Gina Warren;Dinner Plans
by Tamar E. Adler
Prizes
- First Place: $2,000 USD
- Second Place: $1,500 USD
- Third Place: $1,000 USD
Winning entries will be published on the project website and annual magazine!
Eligibility
Open to all undergraduate students currently enrolled in an accredited US academic institution and 18+ years old.
Submission Deadline
The submission deadline for this contest is December 31, 2022. Contest winners will be announced prior to May 1, 2023.
Submit your writings via Duosuma: Duotrope's Submission Manager link below.
Duotrope's Submission ManagerContest Winners
Youngstown State University Prize Winners
A Letter From the Year 2050
The Petri Dish: How We Get the Ingredients for Our Meals
Honorable Mentions
Central Kansas Bay Oysters: Landlocked Ocean Fresh
