Deadline: June 18, 2020
The MIT Solve – Sustainable Food Systems Challenge 2020 is open. The MIT Solve community is looking for technology-based solutions for a low-carbon global food system that provides nutrition with minimal environmental impact.
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 Food Sustainability, MIT Solve wants to hear from you.
The Challenge
How can we produce and consume low-carbon, resilient, and nutritious food?
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.
Benefits
There’s more than $1 million of funding available for the 2020 Solver Class.
If you are selected as a Solver, you’ll receive a $10,000 grant from Solve, as well as access to significant additional prize funding.
Solver teams will be selected by a panel of cross-sector judges at Solve Challenge Finals during UN General Assembly week in New York City on September 20, 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:
- Innovation for Women Prize
- The AI for Humanity Prize
- The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion
Those that are ultimately selected as a Solver will:
- Join a supportive community of peers, funders, and experts to help advance their innovative work through Solve’s nine-month program;
- Receive mentorship and strategic advice from Solve and MIT networks;
- Attend Solve at MIT, our annual flagship event in May; and
- Receive access to more than $1 million in prize funding for the 2020 Challenges.
Eligibility
- Anyone, anywhere around the world can submit a solution to Solve’s Challenges.
- You can be an individual, a team, or an organization.
- You can be an applicant from previous years or already part of our community.
Criteria
Judges will score solutions along the following criteria:
- Alignment: The solution uses technology to address one of Solve’s Global Challenges.
- Potential for Impact: The planned solution implementation has the potential to impact lives.
- Feasibility: Solution implementation is feasible, and the team has a plan for financial sustainability.
- Innovative Approach: The solution includes a new technology, a new application of technology, a new business model, or a new process for solving the Challenge.
- Scalability*: The solution can be scaled to affect the lives of more people.
- Partnership Potential*:The applicant clearly explains how the solution would benefit from the broad range of resources that the Solve community is positioned to provide.
Application
For more information, visit MIT Solve.
