BRINGING TOGETHER FOOD SECURITY INNOVATORS

KAUST hosts the launch of World Economic Forum food security challenge

In February 2023, KAUST hosted the national launch of the Food Ecosystems in Arid Climates challenge, a collaborative effort between the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Ministry of Economy and Planning.

The challenge aims to crowdsource innovative and sustainable solutions for food security in arid regions, focusing on availability, access and management of food through low-tech, high-tech or ancestral approaches. Areas of focus included production, sustainable food value and supply chains, the socio-economics of food, data, digital access and technology, as well as community awareness and education.

SandX and CarboSoil solutions, KAUST startup Terraxy Company Inc. was selected as one of the top innovators in the competition.

According to the WEF, over the past three years the availability and affordability of food has declined. Global hunger affected an estimated 828 million people in 2022, with 2.3 billion facing food insecurity and 3.1 billion unable to afford a healthy diet. The growing global challenge of drought is expected to displace more than 700 million people by 2030.

ANDRES

The competition is expected to be held annually, and other schools have already expressed an interest in joining. Based on the experience of other countries, KAUST anticipates many participants will pursue careers in marine technology and contribute to the Kingdom’s

“MATE has had a great effect on growing future talent in marine technology. Working with KAUST, we expect the same to happen in Saudi Arabia.”

Jill Zande, President and Executive Director, MATE Inspiration for Innovation

NAJAH ASHRY Vice President of Strategic National Advancement

Led by the WEF’s UpLink platform and funded by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the initiative seeks to unlock entrepreneurial potential and drive systemic change. Selected innovators will have the opportunity to advance their proposals with the support of UpLink and its partners, and will be eligible for funding from the Kingdom. The winning team will receive CHF100,000 ($112,000) to implement and scale their venture in arid regions and gain access to valuable networking opportunities. For its

The launch event featured executives, representatives and food security experts from the Ministry of Economy and Planning, WEF UpLink, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and KAUST. John Dutton, Head of UpLink, emphasized the importance of incentivizing research and innovation in food security. KAUST centers, particularly KAUST Innovation and the Center for Desert Agriculture, were praised for their contributions to this critical field. Dr. Hosam Rowaihy, Head of the Decision Support Unit and Senior Advisor to the Minister of Economy and Planning, emphasized the need for collaboration and collective action to combat food insecurity.

The event builds on the existing collaborative relationship between KAUST and the Ministry of Economy and Planning. The Food Ecosystems in Arid Climates challenge is the first of two initiatives focused on food systems; the second initiative, which explores climate-smart agriculture, is set to launch later in 2023.