Announced Seeding the Future Challenge” Grand Prize & Grant Finalists
The Announced Seeding The Future Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute of Food Technologists, is thrilled to announce the semifinalists for the Grand Prize and Growth Grant, as well as the finalists for the Seed Grant, in the 2024 Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge. This year’s competition set a new record with nearly 1,200 submissions from scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and multidisciplinary teams representing 93 countries. These submissions highlight groundbreaking innovations designed to tackle the world’s most pressing food system challenges.
A total of 13 winners will receive a share of the USD $1 million in prize funding. This includes up to eight winners of the Seed Grant, each receiving $25,000; up to three Growth Grant winners, each awarded $100,000; and up to two Seeding The Future Grand Prize winners, each receiving $250,000.
The application window opened on September 9, 2024, and closed on January 6, 2025. Over the past two months, expert judges from diverse scientific and technological fields have meticulously reviewed and scored submissions based on innovation, feasibility, and potential impact on both human lives and environmental sustainability.
“The caliber of submissions this year has exceeded our highest expectations,” stated Bernhard van Lengerich, founder of the Seeding The Future Foundation. “This competition has rapidly become an essential global platform for addressing food system issues. Every year, the need for transformative solutions becomes more urgent, and we are inspired by the passion and ingenuity of the innovators dedicated to this cause.”
All semifinalist applicants will be included in the Seeding The Future Global Food System Innovation Database and Network, which is currently under development. This interactive, peer-reviewed platform will be accessible to global organizations such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme, along with philanthropic institutions and investors. By providing visibility for these innovations, the database will create opportunities for funding and strategic collaboration.
Here is the complete list of this year’s semifinalists and finalists across the Grand Prize, Growth Grant, and Seed Grant categories:
Grand Prize Semifinalists
- ABALOBI (South Africa): ABALOBI provides digital tools and training programs to help small-scale fishers—who constitute 85% of the African fisher population—adapt to climate change. Their initiatives improve interactions with government and financial stakeholders while equipping women and vulnerable populations with data-driven decision-making tools.
- Agro Supply (Uganda): This initiative combats Uganda’s $38 million annual loss due to aflatoxin-contaminated grain by utilizing ozone technology to produce aflatoxin-free, fortified maize flour for local consumers.
- D-Olivette (Nigeria): This AI and IoT-enabled biodigester project transforms organic waste into renewable energy and livestock feed. Targeting 1,000,000 homes and farms by 2030, the initiative focuses on sustainable energy, regenerative agriculture, and economic growth, particularly in Africa.
- BIKI (Indonesia): Operating in Sumatra, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara, BIKI provides a multifunctional biotechnology product that boosts plant immune systems, a natural edible coating that doubles shelf life, and a traceability system to empower farmers and businesses.
- Oorja Development Solutions (India): Oorja’s Pay-Per-Use farm service provides solar-powered irrigation, soil testing, seed supply, and sustainable farming training, ensuring smallholders in India adopt climate-smart farming practices.
- Prolific Earth Sciences (United States): This project introduces an affordable MicroBIOMETER test kit to track microbial biomass carbon levels in soil, enabling data-driven regenerative farming practices.
- PT Seaweedtama Biopac (Indonesia): Transforming seaweed into biodegradable packaging, PT Seaweedtama offers sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics, reducing nanoplastic contamination in the food chain.
- Savory Institute (United States): A returning finalist, the Kenya MARA program partners with Maasai herders to promote land regeneration and maintain their traditional, animal-based diet.
Growth Grant Semifinalists
- Boundless Haven Solutions (Canada): This aeroponic farming project, originally developed by NASA, enhances food production efficiency in East Africa, particularly in Djibouti, by reducing water usage and increasing yields.
- CSIR-SARI (Ghana): Using near-infrared (NIR) technology, this initiative screens for aflatoxin contamination in peanuts while leveraging antifungal metabolites to mitigate contamination in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (WHH) (Germany): By promoting the cultivation of Pennisetum purpureum (Maralfalfa) in Niger, this initiative enhances animal feed availability, supports milk production, and contributes to soil restoration.
- iPAGE Global, Inc. (United States): The STARS project deploys AI-powered farm analytics software in flood-prone Bangladesh, offering real-time data to enhance agricultural resilience.
- Munakyalo Agrofresh (Uganda): By deploying solar-powered IoT cooling hubs and a plant-based edible coating, this initiative extends the shelf life of perishable produce, reducing post-harvest losses and improving food security.
- NovFeed (Tanzania): Tackling soil degradation, NovFeed introduces biofertilizers to boost yields, decrease reliance on chemicals, and support local farmers in drought-prone regions.
- Safe Environment Hub (Kenya): This initiative converts organic waste into Black Soldier Fly-derived animal feed and organic fertilizer, offering sustainable alternatives to costly conventional feed sources.
- Smartel (Rwanda): Smartel’s IoT-integrated hydroponic systems empower urban farmers to monitor plant health in real-time, ensuring efficient and climate-resilient food production.
- SOS: Sea-Land Symbiosis (Dominican Republic): Addressing the invasive sargassum seaweed crisis, SOS converts seaweed into agricultural products, improving soil fertility and reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers.
- Toothpick Company Ltd. (Kenya): This bioherbicide startup combats Striga witchweed, a major threat to African crops, by offering a sustainable, seed-coating treatment.
- Uncharted Waters Ltd. (Australia): Utilizing machine learning, this project develops a digital twin of the global water and food system, offering real-time data for sustainable water management.
- Yayasan Kopernik (Indonesia): Revitalizing indigenous farming in West Timor, this initiative establishes Local Food Hubs, connecting farmers to markets and enhancing local food security.
