Each year, the Food Planet Prize issues US$2 million to an initiative working to change the food system for the better. The Food Planet Prize Secretariat is seeking relevant, high-quality nominations from diverse food system sectors and geographies. C40 Food Systems winner of the Food Planet Prize 2024
The Food Planet Prize was established to drive a rapid transition to a sustainable global food system. Climate and sustainability scientists emphasize the importance of staying within the planetary boundaries, the safe operating space for a healthy Earth. Human activities have already caused transgressions of six of the nine boundaries. The food system is the single most effective way to revert to safety, as all the boundaries are intrinsically linked to what we eat, and we can’t choose to stop eating.
As the main activity of the Curt Bergfors Foundation, the Food Planet Prize awards initiatives that have the potential to make a transformative impact on food systems sustainability. This reward for potential, rather than past success, sets the Food Planet Prize apart from other awards. Because of the vast array of ways the food system affects the planet’s wellbeing, the Food Planet Prize is interested in supporting initiatives from all parts of the food value chain and all corners of the world. Both nonprofit and for-profit initiatives are eligible. The main criteria are that initiatives have a clear focus on reducing the environmental impact of the food system and the possibility of scaling up their work.
The Food Planet Prize Secretariat receives around 1000 nominations each year. After reviewing every nomination, the team develops a longlist of roughly 50 initiatives followed by a shortlist of up to 10, striving to maintain a diversity of innovations and geographies. Each stage of the evaluation process increases in rigor. The jury, an international mix of academic experts and practitioners, ultimately votes on the winner, which is announced in Stockholm in June.
Here’s a short selection of previous winners, representing different countries and approaches:
C40 Food Systems helps cities around the world shift to sustainable food consumption patterns, including by developing ambitious food policies, redesigning public procurement, and reducing food loss and waste.
The Agrobiodiversity Index measures the status of biodiversity in food and agriculture, addressing consumption, production, and genetic resources. Agrobiodiversity Index indicators are aligned with the SDGs and Aichi Biodiversity target.
ColdHubs offers solar-powered cold storage facilities that extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, reducing post-harvest loss and improving food safety and farmers’ revenue.
The Global Mangrove Alliance works to reverse mangrove loss and increase mangrove habitat. Mangrove ecosystems provide community livelihoods, function as biodiversity hotspots, and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
The Land Institute is creating a radical agricultural system that recreates natural cycles and processes—consisting of perennial crop species grown in polyculture configurations that maximize water uptake, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, solar capture, and natural pest suppression.
And Sanergy developed insect-based methods to convert human waste from urban slums into organic fertilizers and animal feed for commercial and smallholder farms—turning sanitation problems into opportunities for food production.
Creating a global food system that is sustainable rather than environmentally-damaging requires a myriad of solutions. If you know of an initiative that could make a difference, please nominate via a short online nominations form. Nominations received by March/April 2025 will be considered for the 2026 Prize.
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Photo by Erik Elsson
