How can we produce and consume low-carbon, resilient, and nutritious food?

Challenge Overview

Over $2 million in prize funding is available for Solve's 2020 Global Challenges, including Sustainable Food Systems. Learn more.

Agriculture occupies more than 40 percent of the Earth’s land and is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Farming, fishing, transporting, processing, and distributing food supports 28 percent of human livelihood, including 470 million smallholder farmers who often depend on less than 2 hectares for both income and sustenance. By 2050, that system will need to feed 3 billion more people while reducing net emissions to zero to align with Paris Agreement targets.

New trends make transforming the food system more difficult. As people move out of poverty, they buy more meat, increasing the amount of land used to raise and feed animals, and further burdening overexploited fish stocks. Disruptions from climate change-related disasters and recently, from COVID-19, can lead to lower production and more food insecurity, demonstrating a need for more resilient supply chains. Simultaneously, humanity gets 75 percent of our food from just 17 species, decreasing resilience to diseases and other climate-related stresses and shocks. Finally, with 30 percent of food lost or wasted, a third of the food system’s environmental impact happens without feeding anyone.

New data-rich technologies, combined with the revival of traditional practices such as intercropping or indigenous fisheries management, hold great promise. But new business models are required to bring these approaches to far more people, while further innovation is still needed to transform the food system at scale. 

The MIT Solve community is looking for technology-based solutions for a low-carbon global food system that provides nutrition with minimal environmental impact. To that end, Solve seeks solutions that:

• Support small-scale producers with access to inputs, capital, and knowledge to improve yields while sustaining productivity of land and seas;

• Scale practices and incentives for larger farmers and ranchers to decrease carbon emissions, land-use change, nutrient runoff, or water pollution;

• Improve supply chain practices to reduce food loss, scale new business models for producer-market connections, and create low-carbon cold chains; and

• Promote the shift towards low-impact, diverse, and nutritious diets, including low-carbon protein options.

For more details on Solver Funding, Prize, and Partnership Eligibility for the Sustainable Food Systems Challenge, visit the Prizes tab.

Prizes

Solver Funding

All solutions selected for Solve’s five current Global Challenges will receive a $10,000 grant funded by Solve. Solver teams will be selected by a panel of cross-sector judges at Virtual Solve Challenge Finals on September 29, 2020.

In addition to Solve funding, the following prizes are available to Solver teams selected for the Sustainable Food Systems Challenge. To be considered for a prize, complete the prize-specific question within the application. You do not need to meet these requirements to apply to the Sustainable Food Systems Challenge:

The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion

The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion is open to solutions that advance the economic, financial, and political inclusion of refugees. The prize is funded by Andan Foundation, a Swiss non-profit foundation dedicated to supporting solutions that promote refugee resilience, self-reliance and integration. Up to $100,000 will be granted to up to four eligible Solver teams from across any of Solve’s current Global Challenges.

Innovation for Women Prize

Solutions that use innovative technology to improve quality of life for women and girls are eligible for the Innovation for Women Prize. This prize is funded by the Vodafone Americas Foundation, which supports technology-focused projects that advance the needs of women and girls, and that promote a world where women’s voices can be celebrated. Up to $75,000 will be granted across up to three Solver teams from any of Solve’s current Global Challenges.

The AI for Humanity Prize

The AI for Humanity Prize is open to solutions that are already using strong data science, artificial intelligence, or machine learning to benefit humanity, and to solutions that are not yet using these technologies but plan to do so to amplify their impact in the future. This prize is made possible by The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and our global community through neuroscience research and information technology. Up to $200,000 in funding will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of Solve’s Global Challenges.

Sustainable Food Systems Coalition Prize

Solutions selected for Solve's Sustainable Food Systems Challenge will receive the Sustainable Food Systems Coalition Prize. This prize is made possible through support from the Foundation for Food & Agricultural Research, the Kroger Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, and Olam International. More than $60,000 will be awarded across all selected Solver teams from the Sustainable Food Systems Challenge.

Future Planet Capital Prize

The Future Planet Capital Prize is open to scalable, for-profit solutions that have the potential to significantly impact millions of lives. The prize is funded by Future Planet Capital, which connects the world’s largest investors to its brightest minds to profitably address global challenges. One or more Solver teams, selected from any of Solve's current Global Challenges, will receive a total of $200,000 in investment funds. Solve Finalists under consideration for this Prize will be asked to provide materials and data (in addition to what is provided in the MIT Solve application) to enable Future Planet Capital to evaluate the prospective investments. Investment funding is contingent upon Future Planet Capital's evaluation of these materials, completion of due diligence, and parties agreeing on investment terms.

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Agriculture occupies 40% of all land and is a major source of emissions. How can we build a sustainable food future? ? If you’re working on a tech solution to #FoodSustainability, @SolveMIT wants to hear from you. $1M in funding is available: https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/sustainable-food-systems

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Agriculture occupies more than 40% of the Earth’s land and is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. How can we build a sustainable food future? ? If you’re working on a tech-based solution to #FoodSustainability, @Solve - MIT wants to hear from you. Over $1 million in funding is available for Solve’s 2020 Global Challenges: https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/sustainable-food-systems

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