Key Takeaways:
- The Zayed Sustainability Prize announced 33 finalists across six categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools.
- Food category finalists focus on sustainable food production, preservation, and transforming arid land into productive farmland.
- Winners will be revealed during the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony on January 14, 2025, at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
- Finalists reflect emerging global trends, including the rise of the Global South, energy transitions, and AI’s growing role in sustainable solutions.
- The Prize has positively impacted millions of people globally by providing access to clean energy, nutritious food, safe water, and healthcare.
Focus on Food and Agriculture Solutions
The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s prestigious global award recognizing innovative and impactful solutions, has announced the finalists for its 2025 edition. Among the six categories, the Food category stands out for its focus on empowering small-scale producers, promoting sustainable food preservation, and transforming arid land into productive farms. The finalists in this category aim to address pressing global challenges such as food security and environmental sustainability.
H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, and COP28 President, highlighted the importance of these innovations. “This year’s finalists are leveraging emerging technologies to tackle urgent environmental and economic challenges, inspiring the next generation to drive sustainability in impactful ways.”
Food Category Finalists: Innovating for Sustainable Agriculture
This year’s Food finalists are committed to addressing critical food security issues by developing scalable and sustainable agricultural technologies. The selected innovations showcase how technology can transform traditional farming practices and ensure food security for communities across the globe.
The Food finalists are:
- ABALOBI (South Africa): An NPO that created a mobile app and marketplace to empower small-scale fishers. The app allows fishers to log catches and sell directly to consumers, ensuring fair trade and supporting sustainable fishing practices.
- Nafarm Foods (Nigeria): An SME developing scalable hybrid solar food dryers. These dryers help preserve food, reduce post-harvest loss, and cut carbon emissions, contributing to a sustainable food value chain.
- Xinjiang Shawan Oasis Sustainable Development Institute (China): An NPO specializing in solar-powered smart greenhouses that transform desert land into arable farms. Their technology addresses the dual challenges of land degradation and food insecurity by converting arid landscapes into productive agricultural spaces.
- Elman Teknoloji Ltd (Türkiye): Employs sensors to optimise water use in irrigation and agriculture, cutting labour costs by 80%.
Empowering Small-Scale Producers and Promoting Sustainability
These finalists represent the potential for innovation in the food and agriculture sectors to create a lasting impact on communities worldwide. ABALOBI’s work with small-scale fishers demonstrates how technology can empower local producers, allowing them to access markets directly and promote sustainable fishing practices. Nafarm Foods’ solar-powered dryers offer an environmentally friendly solution to preserving food, reducing food waste, and decreasing CO2 emissions.
Meanwhile, the Xinjiang Shawan Oasis Sustainable Development Institute focuses on transforming desert areas into productive farmland using solar-powered smart greenhouses, demonstrating the potential for agriculture in regions with harsh climates. These greenhouses allow for year-round farming in previously unproductive lands, contributing to global food security while promoting sustainable agriculture.
Recognizing Global Trends in Sustainability
The Zayed Sustainability Prize’s focus on agriculture aligns with broader global trends such as the rise of the Global South, where many of the food finalists are based. These finalists showcase how the Global South is increasingly at the forefront of developing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including food security, resource management, and environmental sustainability.
The Prize also highlights the growing role of AI and other emerging technologies in addressing these issues. As agricultural technologies continue to evolve, innovations such as AI-powered tools, precision agriculture, and renewable energy-based farming systems are expected to play a significant role in ensuring sustainable food production for future generations.
A Legacy of Impact
Since its inception, the Zayed Sustainability Prize has recognized 117 winners, who have collectively transformed the lives of millions. In the food category alone, the Prize has helped 3.6 million people gain access to more nutritious food through innovative agricultural practices and technologies.
By awarding pioneering solutions in the Food category, the Zayed Sustainability Prize continues to promote the development of sustainable food systems that can address global challenges such as hunger, climate change, and food waste. These solutions not only enhance the livelihoods of small-scale producers but also contribute to a more sustainable and resilient global food system.
Winners of the 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize will be announced during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2025, with each winner in the Food, Health, Energy, Water, and Climate Action categories receiving US $1 million to further scale their innovations.
2 Comments