Indian solar-powered tech venture Science for Society Techno Services Private Limited (S4S Technologies) and a global soil carbon marketplace ‘Boomitra’ founded by an Indian-American are two among the five winners of 2023 Earthshot Prize (3rd Edition).
- S4S Technologies won in the ‘Build A Waste-Free World’ category whereas Boomitra won in the ‘Fix Our Climate’ category.
- The winners’ list was announced by William, Prince of Wales, at the awards ceremony which was held in Singapore.
Categories:
The Earthshot Prize is focused on 5 earthshorts goals,
- Protect and Restore Nature
- Clean Our Air
- Revive Our Oceans
- Build A Waste-Free World
- Fix Our Climate
Winners:
| Winners | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Acción Andina | Protect and Restore Nature | The Andes Mountains, South America |
| GRST | Clean Our Air | Hong Kong, China |
| WildAid Marine Program | Revive Our Oceans | Global |
| S4S Technologies | Build A Waste-Free World | India |
| Boomitra | Fix Our Climate | Global |
S4S Technologies:
i.S4S Technologies is a social enterprise that provides shelf-stable, nutrition-rich, and convenience foods to industrial kitchens and packaged food companies.
ii.It was founded in 2013 by seven people namely Nidhi Pant, Vaibhav Tidke, Swapnil Kokte, Ganesh Bhere, Shital Somani, Tushar Gaware and Ashwin Pawade.
iii.S4S business model is the solar-powered food dehydration system that allows to dehydrate fruits and vegetables without using any chemicals or preservatives.
- This is operated by women micro-entrepreneurs(ME).
iv.Through this, the firm combats food waste, rural poverty, and gender inequality by helping smallholder female farmers preserve and market surplus produce.
Boomitra:
i.Boomitra is a soil carbon marketplace. They reward farmers for sustainable land management practices.
ii.It was founded in 2017 by Aadith Moorthy.
iii.Boomitra is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and remote sensing technology.
iv.Boomitra’s technology enables the monitoring, reporting, and verification of carbon content, nutrients, and moisture levels in the soil.
Note: Boomitra means “friend of the earth” in Sanskrit
Other Winners:
Accion Andina:
i.Accion Andina is a community-driven initiative that spans South America, dedicated to safeguarding the native high Andean forest ecosystems for their immense value to the environment and the millions of people who reside in the region.
- It aims to revive the ancient Inca principles of “Ayni and Minka”.
ii.It is co-founded by non-profit organisations Global Forest Generation and Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos.
iii. By 2045, they aim to protect and restore one million hectares of high Andean, native forest ecosystems across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
iv.Constantino Aucca Chutas is the President of Acción Andina.
GRST:
i.Green, Renewable, Sustainable Technology (GRST) has made lithium ion batteries with water-soluble binding composite and recyclable components, instead of using toxic solvents and hard-to-recycle materials.
ii.This reduces Green House Gas(GHG) emission by 40%.
iii.Justin Hung is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of GRST.
WildAid Marine Programme:
i.WildAid Marine Programme is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting marine ecosystems and endangered wildlife through effective enforcement solutions.
ii.They work collaboratively with governments and local communities to strengthen the protection of priority marine areas, including marine protected areas, coastal fisheries, coral reefs, and blue carbon habitats.
iii. Meaghan Brosnan is the Chief Operating Officer of WildAid.
Earthshot Prize:
i.The Earthshot Prize also known as ‘Eco Oscar’ was instituted in 2021.
ii.Every year till 2030, 5 Earthshot Prizes will be awarded to support the environmental innovation projects for the future.
iii.The prize was inspired by US President John F. Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ which aimed to put a man on the moon and catalysed the development of new technology in 1960s.
iv.Each winners will receive 1 million pound sterling (USD 1.2 million) to develop their innovation.
About Science for Society Techno Services Private Limited (S4S Technologies):
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Vaibhav Tidke
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in – 2013
About Boomitra:
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Aadith Moorthy
Headquarters – San Mateo, California, United States of America(USA)
Established in – 2017
