In the Amazon—a storehouse of 123B tons of carbon and home to 10% of the world’s species—about 72% of deforestation is a direct or indirect result of animal agriculture. As incomes and populations rise through 2050, demand for animal-based foods could increase by 70%. Alternative proteins that satisfy our craving for animal products are crucial for stemming the extinction and climate crises.

‍

Our alternative proteins open innovation program will incentivize innovators around the world to solve key bottlenecks to alternative proteins achieving taste-parity, cost-parity, and consumer enthusiasm while laying the foundation for a sustainable alternative proteins industry in the Amazon.

‍

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) represents a major environmental and social challenge, producing 20-25% of global gold supply while driving deforestation, mercury pollution, and ecosystem degradation across biodiversity hotspots in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

‍

To address the gap in innovation, we conducted two open innovation challenges collectively known as the Artisanal Mining Grand Challenges. The first invited solutions to address artisanal and small-scale mining across minerals globally, awarding $750k in prizes. The second invited solutions specific to addressing ASGM in the Amazon.

‍

This report shares the first-ever analysis of outcomes as well as reflections on effectively advancing the transition toward a more environmentally and socially responsible ASGM sector.

COMING SOON

The Con X Tech Prize: The Amazon is a global competition that seeks cutting-edge science and tech innovations to transform the Amazon's destructive, extractive economies into modern, regenerative ones.

‍
Download the Report

Fire is a natural part of many ecosystems. But on a planet rapidly changing due to climate change, habitat destruction, and resource extraction, fire is becoming an increasing threat to nature and human communities alike. Just as human-caused changes have made fire a danger in many places, human ingenuity has the power to reimagine and remember how we, and the creatures we share Earth with, can live and thrive with fire.

‍

The Fire Grand Challenge aims to transform how we manage and live with fire by catalyzing scalable solutions that braid together traditional and rural knowledge with cutting-edge technology and innovation.

Visit the Site