Start-ups urged to 'grow more with less' to win $2m in UAE food security challenge

The prize pool will fund four agri-tech companies to scale up solutions in arid climates

The challenge focuses on food and water resources, sustainable energy systems and the reduction of waste. Photo: Silvia Razgova / The National

Tech start-ups that can do “more for less” to address food security challenges in the underdeveloped global south have a prize pool of $2 million in the latest UAE FoodTech Challenge.

Four winning start-ups will win $500,000 each to turn their ideas into reality under the challenge launched this week in New York at the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 during the continuing UN General Assembly. It's organised by the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and Tamkeen.

In its third year, the challenge focuses on three vital areas: food and water resources, sustainable food and energy systems, and the reduction of food loss and waste.

Rima Al Mokarrab, Chair of Tamkeen, and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge said the world needs innovations that can do more with less to advance global food security, promote more sustainable agriculture and build greater resilience in food systems.

“By 2050, we’ll need to feed 10 billion people – 2 billion more than today – and to do that, the world needs to produce more food,” Ms Al Mokarrab told The National.

“So, we have to produce more food with less … less water, less energy and less waste, all while facing the pressures of climate change.

“That is why the FoodTech Challenge focuses on the food-water-energy nexus and the fight against food waste.”

This year, the challenge particularly focuses on supporting Global South countries grappling with intensifying heat, water scarcity and degraded agricultural land.

“The climate challenges faced by these countries are no longer isolated – they’re becoming global issues that the UAE understands all too well,” said Ms Al Mokarrab in a written response.

She said innovators can leverage the UAE’s desert conditions as an ideal testing ground, allowing solutions to be piloted before scaling to other similarly harsh and water-scarce environments in the Global South.

The FoodTech was first launched in 2019 by Tamkeen and the UAE Food Security Office, and the competition attracted 437 start-ups from 68 countries. The second edition of the challenge launched during Expo 2020 Dubai saw participation from 667 start-ups from 79 countries.

Previous competitors have presented remarkable technologies, from novel techniques for developing carbon-negative plant-based protein to reducing food waste using AI image recognition, to maintaining the cellular structure of food while hyper-freezing.

Saudi-based agritech, Iyris (formerly Red Sea Farms), which was among last year's winners, raised over $34 million and introduced its technologies across Silal farms in Abu Dhabi.

Mariam Almheiri, co-chair of the FoodTech Challenge, said the competition is not just about funding ideas but nurturing companies towards “real-world application”.

“The UAE serves as a living laboratory, a real-world testing ground where winners can refine and scale their solutions in an environment that mirrors the challenges faced by many nations, particularly those with arid climates,” Ms Almheiri, who is also the Head of International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, told The National.

“We have designed the challenge to be more than just a competition; it's a launch pad for the next generation of food tech leaders,” she said.

Ms Almheiri said the FoodTech Challenge reflects the UAE’s commitment to its National Food Security Strategy 2051 which aims to put the nation on the world’s food security index by 2051. It also aligns with the Cop28 Declaration on Food and Agriculture, which emphasises the importance of resilient food systems. The challenge seeks to address issues with funding and regulatory protocols that start-ups often face.

“Our prize provides a vital injection of early-stage funding, allowing start-ups to focus on refining their technologies and scaling their operations.”

She said the challenge recognises the potential of technology in revolutionising food systems and enhancing food security, such as precision agriculture that uses sensors and artificial intelligence to increase yields, and alternative proteins for ethical and more sustainable meat production.

With global food systems accounting for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, she said the UAE is committed to supporting the growth of food innovation, recognising its potential to enhance food security while reducing its carbon footprint.

“Reducing food loss and waste is not just an environmental imperative; it's an obligation,” she said.

“We see tremendous potential in technologies and practices that minimise waste throughout the food supply chain, from farm to table.”

Applications for the competition close on December 12 and finalists will be selected in April next year. Entrants can submit their applications at www.foodtechchallenge.com.

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