Seed Grant Winners, Growth Grant and Seeding The Future Grand Prize Finalists Announced for USD $1 Million Global Food System Challenge

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seeding The Future Foundation and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) are proud to announce the Seed Grant winners as well as the Growth Grant finalists and Seeding The Future Grand Prize finalists for the 2024 Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge. This year’s Seed Grant winners have created impactful innovations in the ag/food space that address some of the world’s biggest food issues, including crop protection and productivity, dairy safety, sustainable agriculture, farmlands restoration, post-harvest loss reduction, and combating malnutrition for children.

“We believe that big ideas at an early stage deserve to be recognized, promoted and supported to reach their full impact potential when scaled." - Bernhard van Lengerich, founder, Seeding The Future Foundation

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Seed Grants are awarded to applicants who are growing high-potential, innovative ideas and have developed a prototype and/or initial proof of concept demonstrating feasibility. Each of the eight Seed Grant winners will receive USD $25,000.

“We believe that big ideas at an early stage deserve to be recognized, promoted and supported to reach their full impact potential when scaled. In this context, this year’s Seed Grant winners exemplify the power of entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity to transform food systems in making them more climate resilient, leading to food that is safer, and more nutritious and affordable, ultimately benefiting people and the planet. Congratulations to the winners as well as all 2024 Challenge applicants who are working relentlessly to change food systems around the world,” said Bernhard van Lengerich, founder of the Seeding The Future Foundation.

Here are the 2024 Seed Grant winners:

• Alpha Omega Foundation: Ultrasonic Locus Repellent: A Sustainable Solution for Crop Protection and Food Security in Africa (Cameroon). Alpha Omega’s repellent helps farmers protect crops from locusts without chemical pesticides. Powered by solar energy this technology offers a sustainable and cost-effective approach for small-scale farmers in Africa.

• Baobaby: Improve Climate-Resilient Supply Chains for Indigenous Baby Food to Combat Malnutrition and Empower Female Farmers (Togo). Baobaby uses local indigenous crops – such as millet, sorghum, and baobob – instead of more expensive milk-based solutions for its infant formula. In addition, they train and support local women farmers in climate-smart agricultural practices.

• BIO PLANET TMC Ltd.: Production and Distribution of Quality and Pest Control Organic Fertilizer for Farmlands Restoration and Increased Yields (Benin). BIO PLANET collects and responsibly processes organic waste while also producing high-quality organic fertilizer. The fertilizer is provided to indigenous small-scale farmers across West Africa, increasing farmers’ crop yields and incomes.

• MAMLO FOODS, Ltd.: Scaling MAMLO FOODS Micro-Factory Model to Empower Women Smallholder farmers and Transform Peanut Processing (Kenya). MAMLO FOODS’ Micro-Factory – located in Amagoro, western Kenya – localizes peanut processing, reducing post-harvest losses. Additionally, the project equips 500 women farmers with advanced training in farming techniques, and post-harvest handling.

• National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) – National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI): Enhancing Household Nutrition Through Adoption of Climate Resilient Greengram and Sorghum Varieties and Biodynamic Manures (Uganda). NaSARRI’s proposed project aims to validate and promote climate-resilient greengram and sorghum varieties that are nutrient dense and promote locally produced biodynamic manures. This approach will enhance crop productivity and address food insecurity in Uganda.

• Safi International Technologies: Building Capacity for a Safe and Transparent Dairy Supply Chain in the Rwandan Eastern Province (Canada). Safi’s pasteurization control unit targets small-scale dairy farmers and vendors. This affordable, solar-powered device kills milk-borne diseases all while retaining the key nutrients of milk.

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Empowering Rural Communities of Namibia through Introducing Sustainable Kalahari Melon Oil Processing Methodology (United States). Current oil extraction methods for the Kalahari melon – a drought-resistant crop – are labor-intensive, environmentally unsustainable, and economically restrictive, particularly for women cultivators. This project introduces cold-press technology for increased oil extraction and minimizes the environmental impact of traditional thermal technology in southern Africa.

• Vexxel: Smart Biocapsules for Sustainable Agriculture: Reducing Agrochemical Use and Enhancing Food Safety Globally (United States). Vexxel’s smart, protein-based biodegradable and non-toxic biocapsules provide an alternative to biochemicals. Advanced biosensors take a targeted approach: they detect pathogens and release active compounds as needed.

The Seeding The Future Grand Prize finalists and Growth Grant finalists have also been revealed with the winners being announced in June 2025. Up to two Seeding The Future Grand Prize winners will earn $250,000 each while up to three Growth Grant winners will receive $100,000 each.

Here are the finalists for Growth Grant and Seeding The Future Grand Prize:

Growth Grant Finalists

• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Institute – Savanah Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI): Developing an NIR Tool for Rapid Screening of Aflatoxin-Resistant Groundnuts to Combat Aflatoxin Contamination (Ghana).
• Munakyalo Agrofresh: Reducing Post-harvest Losses with Solar-Powered IoT Cooling Hubs and Sustainable Preservation Technologies (Uganda).
• Smartel: Transforming Food Security with IoT-Smart Hydroponic Systems for Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Agriculture (Rwanda).
• SOS: Sea-Land Symbiosis (Dominican Republic).
• Toothpick Company Ltd.: Breakthrough Bioherbicide Technology Improves Food and Economic Security for Small-scale Farmers (Kenya).
• Yayasan Kopernik: PANGAN Program: Revitalizing Indigenous Farming and Building a Sustainable Food System for a Climate-resilient Bioeconomy and Community (Indonesia).

Seeding The Future Grand Prize Finalists

• ABALOBI: ICTs, Market Access and Food Security for Small-scale Fisheries (South Africa).
• Agro Supply: How to Produce Aflatoxin-Free Maize and Fortified Maize Flour to Ugandan Consumers (Uganda).
• Oorja Development Solutions India Private Limited: Scaling Climate-Smart Farming Solutions: Bundling Pay-Per-Use Irrigation with Sustainable Advisory Services for Smallholders (India).
• Savory Institute: KENYA MARA Regenerating Traditional Foods, Lands & Livelihoods through Maasai Conservancies (United States).

To learn more about the Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge, go to www.ift.org/food-system-challenge.

About Seeding The Future Foundation

The Seeding The Future Foundation is a private, non-profit organization motivated by its core value that everyone should always have equitable access to safe, nutritious, affordable, appealing, and trusted food. It seeks to inspire innovative solutions that can help transform food systems globally to be more sustainable and benefit the health of people and the environment. The Foundation provides seed funding and support to promising ideas and high impact innovations along food value chains to improve food systems globally, support technologies to reduce post-harvest losses in developing regions, as well as foundational work in academia and research. For more information, please visit seedingthefuture.org.

About Institute of Food Technologists

Since 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has served as the voice of the global food science community. IFT advocates for science, technology, and research to address the world’s greatest food challenges, guiding our community of more than 200,000. IFT convenes professionals from around the world – from producers and product developers to innovators and researchers across food, nutrition, and public health – with a shared mission to help create a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. IFT provides its growing community spanning academia, industry, and government with the resources, connections, and opportunities necessary to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving food system as IFT helps feed the minds that feed the world. For more information, please visit ift.org.