Deadline: 31-May-21
100+ Accelerator has launched a call for applications for the Smart Agriculture Challenge.
As some of the world’s leading companies, 100+ Partners purchase millions of tons of crops each year. They seek collaborative partnerships with the farmers who produce the ingredients that distinguish the Partner’s brands.
By 2050 global agriculture production will need to increase by 60 percent to meet the demands of more than 9 billion people. They know that transforming agriculture at scale – and the resilience of diverse farmers – depends on leveraging science, technology, and financing. They aspire to empower farmers to produce high yielding and quality crops – sustainably – for generations to come.
The 100+ Accelerator delivers 6 months of remote programming and training to accelerate the collaboration and growth of cohort companies in addition to a pilot/alliance with their partner companies. You will receive support from a global team champion, access to mentor networks and up to $100K toward pilot execution.
What They Offer
The 100+ Accelerator will provide support, guidance and access to potential funding through:
- Pilot customer opportunities with the four corporate partners: AB InBev, Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Colgate Palmolive (including the potential to scale company-wide)
- Active mentorship, training and programming in product development, go-to-market, operations, sales and more
- Top mentor network of scientists, academics, domain experts, venture capitalists, corporate sustainability leaders, etc.
- Potential funding from Partner Companies and their networks
Challenges
- Farmer Training, Engagement & Support
- Easily accessible, scalable and convenient training for farmers, farmer organizations and cooperatives across multiple topics – business management, business strategy and optimization, sustainable farming and financial literacy.
- Capabilities for small farmers to receive and access good quality seed and plant material to democratize access to higher yields (especially important for farmers in perrenials).
- Capabilities for small farmers to know, understand and benchmark the seed and plant material they are receiving to make informed decisions (especially important for farmers in perrenials).
- Gender-based program designers and implementers / education material, content for smallholders and communites to improve the role of women in supply chains.
- Income diversification solutions in small holder areas to generate additional income activity in communities.
- Agro/Social-forestry and biodiversity training and application.
- Remote training for agriculture extension teams focused on providing locally relevant and up-to-date advisory services to farmers to produce quality crops sustainably
- Systems and tools that strengthen the farmers’ commercial decision-making and enables alliances and information sharing among farmers.
- Affordable, accessible financial products (e.g. low-interest loan products, crop insurance, credit rating system, village savings & loan models and capability development) designed for smallholder farmers.
- Technology that enables a system of payment for ecological services (i.e. carbon credits) to increase farmer adoption of sustainable practices as well as for for managing deforestation and natural ecosystems surrounding farms.
- Renewable energy solutions for standalone farming and manufacturing equipment (harvesters, C-forklifts, water pumps, tractors, etc.).
- Crop Quality & Productivity
- Identification, prediction and/or prevention of plant disease and pests, as well as alerts on the changing level of disease pressure and recommended mitigation actions.
- Tools to support adoption of Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Farm Management on small farms..
- Tools and technologies to improve harvest and post-harvest processes to improve crop quality and farmer productivity.
- Crop damage prevention or mitigation during bad or erratic weather patterns.
- Rapid low-cost soil testing. Tool that supports the agronomy teams to give advice on soil.
- Simulation technology to speed plant breeding.
- Tools and technologies to improve harvest and post-harvest processes to improve crop quality, minimize post-harvest losses and ultimately improve farmer productivity.
- Cost-effective precision irrigation technology for crop sprinkler or drip irrigation systems.
- Environmentally friendly fertilizers (land or ocean) or fertilizer use optimization with high adoption/ low churn.
- Technology for the selection and sorting of individual crops based on quality parameters to ensure zero waste and improved crop acceptance rates.
- Other / New Innovations Testing & Analysis
- Solution in the regenerative agriculture space (no platforms). Modeling capability is a preference.
- New technology applications for predicting & identify areas of risk before contamination in food or beverage production.
- Supply chain transparency for agriculture.
- Third party evaluation/monitoring process (GHGs, water usage).
- New tools/innovations for farmers to maximize farm returns and access to markets for all the products they produce including what may traditionally be termed waste material.
Eligibility Criteria
The 100+ Accelerator challenges were developed with input from subject matter experts and partner companies to ensure both global and local issues are addressed.
For more information, visit https://www.100accelerator.com/en/challenge/smart-agriculture