About the Feeding the Next Billion Prize Design

Prize Designs Feeding the Next Billion
#1

Creating white meat alternatives that replicate or outperform conventional meat in cost and access, environmental sustainability and animal welfare, nutrition and health, and taste and texture.

About the Prize Design

XPRIZE is excited to officially kick off the design process of our Feeding the Next Billion prize competition.

We are calling on food and technology experts to join us in this Prize Design, which will provide the outline of what the winning team must accomplish to be awarded the prize.

First, we ask for your advice on the key issues in alternative protein products. Next, we will request your feedback on prize ideas and eventually on metrics and targets of the prize.

The Challenge

The world’s population is expected to surge to 9.7 billion by 2050. The majority of this growth is forecast to occur in developing countries, where rising income levels will result in increased desire for high-protein diets, yet, undernutrition will remain widespread. Overall food production is projected to grow 70% between 2007 and 2050 to meet increased demand. The World Research Institute projects that fish consumption will rise 58% between 2010 and 2050. Already, a quarter of all the world’s land is used today to sustain more than 20 billion chickens, 1.5 billion cattle, and 1 billion sheep, which collectively consume 30% of the world’s crops. The agricultural expansion required to meet the world’s hunger will increase deforestation and biodiversity loss, and accelerate climate change by increasing the release of carbon into the atmosphere.

The Goal

This XPRIZE competition will seek to incentivize solutions which create white meat alternatives that replicate or outperform conventional meat in cost and access, environmental sustainability and animal welfare, nutrition and health, and taste and texture — ultimately leading to a future in which both people and the environment thrive.

XPRIZE team

This Prize Design is led by @Caroline, @cnatan and @Kathleen_Hamrick. @NickOttens manages the online community.

Your Role

As a member of our online community of experts, you will have the chance to share your knowledge and experiences, discuss promising innovations, and influence the evolution of the Feeding the Next Billion Prize Design.

Need Help?

Leave a comment here or contact the community manager, @NickOttens, via nick.ottens@xprize.org.

#2

In case anyone missed the above link: Key Issues looks at factors to enable success.

#3

We know that it is possible to grow oyster mushrooms on cofffee husks and other underutilised agricultural residues. We shall start an experiment in Uganda in October to optimize production of oyster mushrooms for local consumption in Kibinge on substrates from a mixture of coffee and cotton husks. This could, in Uganda alone, improve protein rich nutrition (and reduce meat consumption) for thousends of coffee producing households, making good use of a resource they already have (the husks).

#4

Thank you to all community members who advised on the Feeding the Next Billion Prize Design! Your feedback has helped XPRIZE design the best possible competition for alternative meat.

Click here for a summary of the prize, including the grand challenges it seeks to address and the future it hopes to usher in.

We have now moved into fundraising for this prize. The complete Prize Design will be shared with potential donors, sponsors and other stakeholders. We’re looking forward to launching the competition as soon as funding is secured.