The UAE launched the latest edition of the FoodTech Challenge at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting 2024 in New York, during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
By 2050, the world must be equipped to feed an additional 2 billion people. In response to the growing challenges of global food security, the FoodTech Challenge identifies and supports early-stage, cutting-edge technology solutions poised to transform food systems in harsh environments.
Offering its largest cash prize to date, the third edition of the FoodTech Challenge is organized by the Office of International Affairs of the Presidential Court of the UAE and Tamkeen, and delivered in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, ne’ma, the UAE Initiative on Food Loss and Waste, and Silal, a leading Emirati agri-tech company.
This year, the FoodTech Challenge is expanding its focus to three key areas: food and water, food and energy, and food loss and waste. With a shared cash prize of $2 million, as well as go-to-market support and access to a strong network of partners, four winning startups will undertake new projects and partnerships to demonstrate, refine and scale their cutting-edge technology solutions in the UAE.
This base will then serve as a launchpad for teams to expand their solutions to underserved markets and contribute to a more food-secure future.
With its arid desert climate, scarce arable land, and limited fresh water, the UAE faces challenges that other countries will increasingly face. Developing new ways to feed a rapidly growing population with limited resources will provide solutions that can be replicated across much of the world.
"Following the historic COP28 declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems and climate action, and the announcement of the UAE-Gates Foundation partnership on agricultural innovation, the critical role of agriculture and food production in the broader climate crisis is increasingly highlighted. With increasing demands for food, water and energy in the face of climate change, we need bold action, innovative thinking and a transformative approach to our food systems", said Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Head of the Office of International Affairs at the Presidential Court and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge.
The FoodTech Challenge is also supported by ecosystem players including UAE-based start-up accelerators Hub71, Sheraa and startAD, as well as organisations such as the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), AGRA and Al Tamimi & Company.
In just two editions, the competition has garnered over 1,100 applications from startups across 98 countries. Previous entrants have showcased remarkable technologies ranging from new techniques for developing carbon-negative plant proteins, to reducing food waste through AI image recognition, to maintaining the cellular structure of food during hyper-freezing.
Past winners have had remarkable successes, raising additional funding, launching joint ventures, and scaling their solutions. Iyris (formerly Red Sea Farms) is one such example, having raised over $34 million since winning the competition and implementing its technologies at Silal Farms in Abu Dhabi.
Caroline Haïat
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