XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion is a four-year, $15M competition that will incentivize teams to produce chicken breast or fish fillet alternatives that replicate or outperform conventional chicken and fish in: access, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, nutrition and health, as well as taste and texture.
The solutions developed as a result of XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion will provide a more environmentally sustainable path to meeting emerging demand for high-protein products, while advancing human health, and animal welfare.
This competition was developed in response to the release of XPRIZE’s Future of Food Impact Roadmap, an in-depth analysis of global food system challenges that identified 12 radical breakthroughs which could establish a more food secure and environmentally sustainable world by 2050. The critical impact area that XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion addresses is the need for alternative proteins at-scale.
By 2050, Earth’s population will be 9.7 billion. Demand for high protein products is increasing while impact from meat production practices devastates our planet. We need new ways to feed the next billion humans.
Satisfying the global demand for high-protein foods will accelerate deforestation and biodiversity loss, strain global water supply, accelerate climate change, intensify inhumane treatment of animals, and worsen food safety and insecurity issues.
While there is increasing activity in utilizing plant-based, cultivated or blended approaches to create meat alternatives such as burgers, chicken nuggets, and ground fish, more work is needed to produce structured, nutritious, affordable, and versatile alternative chicken and fish products that are capable of competing with conventional products on the market.
The winning team will develop multiple consistent cuts of raw chicken breast or fish fillet alternatives (115 grams / 4 ounces) that replicate the sensory properties, structure, versatility, and nutritional profile of conventional chicken or fish, while having a lower comparable environmental footprint.
Additionally, a bonus prize will be awarded to the team that develops an animal-origin-free growth media at the lowest production cost.
This competition is solution agnostic, meaning cultivated, plant-based, blended, and other approaches are eligible as long as they meet the competition’s judging criteria.
XPRIZE teams come from all around the world. Teams can be composed of university groups, high school students, startups and innovators, small to midsize companies, community-based organizations, families or individuals. Registering to create or join a team is one of the first steps you can take to help create a better future for all.
Today, XPRIZE, in partnership with ASPIRE and with the support of The Tony Robbins Foundation, is excited to announce the launch of XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, a four-year competition that hopes to revolutionize the global food supply chain and its impact on communities around the world, transforming the near trillion-dollar meat industry in the process. Through the development of chicken or fish alternatives, teams of global innovators will work to ensure the world’s growing population will have equitable access to high-protein, nutritious, quality food that allows everybody to live active and healthy lives.
Launched during a surge in global food insecurity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing global population, new social mobility, increased urbanization, and climate change, XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion is the first challenge XPRIZE has launched in partnership with ASPIRE, a part of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) which funds research and runs global tech competitions. In addition to ASPIRE and The Tony Robbins Foundation, XPRIZE will be working with The Good Food Institute, an international nonprofit focused on cultivated meat and plant-based alternatives, which will act as a team success partner throughout the competition.
This competition comes after the release of XPRIZE’s Future of Food Impact Roadmap, an in-depth analysis of global food system challenges, that identified 12 radical breakthroughs which could establish a more food secure and environmentally sustainable world by 2050 — allowing humanity to overcome the challenges needed to help the 815 million people facing chronic malnourishment today, and prepare for a future with an even larger global population. Amid these 12 breakthrough opportunities, the need for alternative proteins at-scale was identified as a critical impact area that requires significant technological advances, decreased price points, and notable shifts in consumers’ preferences – all while maintaining positive health and environmental benefits as compared to conventional animal-based proteins.
“Billions of individuals do and will desire higher quality protein as a food source, but the earth is incapable of providing this with traditional livestock. A much more sustainable, scalable methodology is required,” said XPRIZE Founder Peter H. Diamandis, MD, “XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion seeks to create poultry and fish that is affordable, sustainable, more nutritious, and a lower cost than mechanisms now in place. We believe hundreds of entrepreneurs will focus on driving breakthroughs in this critical and important area to help feed the world.”
“Even though it seems like a formidable challenge — global hunger is one of the most solvable problems in today’s society,” said His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary-General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, which oversees ASPIRE. “With XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, we have a unique opportunity to enable innovators to develop solutions that improve yield, productivity and sustainability across the entire global food ecosystem. Abu Dhabi has been instrumental in developing the global food security ecosystem, and we are continuously uncovering cutting-edge agriculture solutions that will shape the future of food production. Through our partnership with XPRIZE, we seek to unearth new technologies that will become solutions for all, helping people around the world access safe, sufficient and affordable food. We’re excited to bring together top international talent and global innovators to develop solutions to answer one of the world’s most critical challenges.”
As part of the competition, XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion will ask the winning teams to develop multiple consistent cuts of a meat alternative that replicates the look, taste, smell, feel, cooking behavior and nutritional properties of a structured fillet of fish or chicken breast, while having a lower comparable environmental footprint. All teams will need to demonstrate an ability to scale production for global distribution, a crucial step towards addressing food insecurity and revolutionizing the food supply of communities in all corners of the world.
Awards:- $ 15 MIllion
Deadline:- 17-02-2020
Entry fees:- The Team Registration Fee for Early Registration is $1,000 USD
