London: A solar-powered tech venture that is combating food waste in India and a global regenerative agriculture initiative founded by a Karnataka professional are among the five winners of the GBP 1 million 2023 Earthshot Prize, founded by Britain’s Prince William and referred to as the ‘Eco Oscars’. S4S Technologies, founded in 2013 by six university friends Nidhi Pant, Vaibhav Tidke, Swapnil Kokte, Ganesh Bhere, Shital Somani, Tushar Gaware and Ashwin Pawade, was named the winner in the “Build a Waste-Free World” category at an awards ceremony in Singapore on Tuesday (November 9).
Meet our #EarthshotSingapore2023 Winners!
With their £1 million prize and our support, they'll accelerate their projects and continue making a positive impact on people and the planet.
???? @AccionAndina
???? GRST
???? @WildAid
♻️ @S4sTechnologies
???? @Boomitra pic.twitter.com/Pemx91sgnr— The Earthshot Prize (@EarthshotPrize) November 7, 2023
Also Read: Need To Shift Away From Foods That Add To Climate Change Problem: President Murmu
In the “Fix Our Planet” category, Aadith Moorthy’s Boomitra emerged as the winner for its work with struggling farmers the world over. William, the Prince of Wales, said,
The last year has been one of great change and even greater challenge. A year in which the effects of the climate crisis have become too visible to be ignored. The light of optimism is burning bright in our Earthshot Finalists. From Boomitra, S4S, and Acción Andina, to GRST and WildAid Marine Program, our winners and all our finalists remind us that, no matter where you are on our planet, the spirit of ingenuity, and the ability to inspire change, surrounds us all.
S4S, which stands for Science for Society, was set up with the aim of creating a waste-free food system and to transform the lives of millions of women farmers. Co-founder Nidhi Pant, said,
S4S, along with women farmers, are creating a new food ecosystem that reduces wastage and mitigates the increase in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions while meeting the world’s food needs. With empowered women farmers taking leadership to fight climate change by ensuring food security, increasing incomes, creating jobs, boosting local economies, and advocating with the government, women farmers have emerged as key-partners in driving lasting impact.
Boomitra, which means “friend of the earth” in Sanskrit, is a soil carbon marketplace that rewards farmers for sustainable land management practices. The company works with more than 150,000 farmers, from half-acre smallholder farms to large ranchers, managing more than 5 million acres of land in some of the poorest parts of Africa, South America and Asia. Aadith Moorthy, Boomitra CEO and Founder, said,
This prize is a recognition of the hard work and dedication of our partners on the ground, the Boomitra team, and all the farmers we work with, who work every single day towards moving the needle on climate change.
In 2017, he was passing through an Indian village when he came across a funeral procession mourning the death of a farmer who, left destitute after a crop failure, had taken his own life. This emotional moment sparked questions in his mind and led to the creation of Boomitra, which today has a base around the world including in Bengaluru.
The other winners of the 2023 prize include South American forest protection initiative Accion Andina; Battery recycling project GRST from Hong Kong; and US-headquartered WildAid Marine Program which is combatting illegal fishing.
During a glittering awards ceremony in Singapore to be telecast over the weekend, the five winners chosen from among the 15 worldwide innovators and entrepreneurs named as 2023 Earthshot Prize Finalists were each awarded a catalytic GBP 1 million prize to help scale their solutions and accelerate their growth and impact.
Also Read: Climate Change-Induced Surge In Humidity Fuels Discomfort, Drives Power Demand In Delhi: Report
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoilets are used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
