Coral reefs are among the most critically endangered ecosystems on the planet. Warmer ocean temperatures, pollution and unsustainable fishing practices continue to cause mass destruction with severe implications for wildlife, ocean health and society. As coral bleaching events also become more prevalent, delicate reefs are dying fast. Fortunately, scientists are exploring unlikely solutions to restore coral reefs to their former glory with the latest technique using sound. Here is an overview of how soundscapes could change conservationists’ approach to reef restoration and why saving co ..read more

The 10 finalists in this year’s European Prize for Women Innovators were announced this week by the European Innovation Council (EIC). The annual prize, now a joint venture between EIC and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), has three categories: Rising Innovator, Women Innovators, and the EIT Women Leadership category. “From creating entirely new alternatives to our current food system to medical technology that improves cancer treatment, these women produced game-changing innovation. I hope that this will inspire more women in Europe and beyond to pursue a career in i ..read more

“We believe we can end global hunger with innovation and technology.” Anyone watching Friday’s WFP Innovation Pitch Event, held on the sidelines of the 60th Munich Security Conference, will understand why Bernhard Kowatsch said this. The Head of the WFP Innovation Accelerator, in the Bavarian capital to showcase solutions disrupting hunger, spoke passionately about the work WFP Innovation is doing through its 20 different accelerators, to support a pipeline of startups that have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, developing products now benefiting over 60 million people ..read more

Humanitarian innovations are a lifeline for millions of people facing food insecurity. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator scales these innovations and next Friday, 16 February, some of the accelerator’s latest cohort will pitch their solutions at an event taking place on the sidelines of the 60th Munich Security Conference. Register to watch the WFP Innovation Pitch event webinar, on 16 February, from 4-5:30 PM CET – and learn more about the innovators. The post Humanitarian innovation makes big pitch for a better world first appeared on Innovators magazine ..read more

“We are calling on innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers to come forward with groundbreaking solutions that can drive resilience, ensure food and nutrition security, enhance climate adaptability and promote social cohesion and sustainability among communities battered by conflict and fragility.” This is from the new ‘stability-and-peace-accelerator‘ from CGIAR and the World Food Progamme (WFP)  Innovation Accelerator, which is offering a $30,000 equity-free grant, and a place on its six-month Sprint acceleration programme, to those with the best solutions. “The WFP Innovation Accele ..read more

Producing meat steaks and hamburgers directly from animal cells is an expensive business but scientists in America have found a way to slash the cost by removing one ingredient. Making slaughter-free meat has become possible thanks to some amazing innovation from the world of cell agriculture. And it has some major backers. In 2021, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ploughed $10 million into the first-ever government backed research institute dedicated to cellular agriculture at Tufts University. That investment is now paying off. Because the Tufts University Center for ..read more

Power hierarchies can threaten global food security and ‘silence innovative voices’, according to new research published today. In a situation where communities are asked to adopt sustainable farming practices, handing control over to centralised social networks, to the same people who did it last time, isn’t necessarily a recipe for success, researchers from the University of Sydney and Stockholm University point out in the new study. Using the cocoa-producing villages in Sulawesi, researchers examined how the make up of the social networks in charge impacted fertiliser use and the adoption ..read more

The second edition of the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa is offering grants of $250,000 to social innovators with tech solutions that can tackle UN Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger. Open to social entrepreneurs across Africa it “seeks to support technology-powered solutions and approaches that are helping to improve food security and systems in African countries”. The top three teams selected will receive a grant of $250,000 from the Austrian Development Agency. Apply by the deadline: 8 February 2024 11:59 pm (CEST). The Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa is ..read more

The Social Innovators of the Year 2024 as chosen by the Schwab Foundation were announced today at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “The Social Innovators of the Year 2024 represent a diverse group of entrepreneurs and innovators who are driving the change we need to create a more sustainable, inclusive future,” said Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. “The collective potential of this community offers a beacon of hope for acting with purpose and collaboration during uncertain times.”   The Schwab Foundation says the 64 org ..read more

Planet Earth is on the brink of its next rebirth, says Zach Bush MD – the world renowned authority on the microbiome, with the only question left being: “do we get to see it?”. It’s a fun possibility that we could start to re-imagine societies in the context of natural law. Zach Bush MD At COP28 in Dubai this week Zach, who has just launched the Institute of Natural Law, took time to speak to me about this epochal moment of opportunity for the world, a “regenerative reality” he says “we’re stepping into, where life is going to be more beautiful than we can imagine” – and that by “grasping th ..read more