Applications to Nutreco’s 2022 Young Researchers Prize are now open to all PhD students and post doctorate researchers in their first- and second-year of study working in animal nutrition, livestock production, aquaculture, veterinary sciences and cellular agriculture.

The award challenges young academics from across the world to showcase their innovative solutions for sustainable and environmentally-conscious farming practices. First, second and third place winners will be awarded €12,000, €8,000 and €5,000 respectively to further their research.

Nutreco, an international leader in animal nutrition, launched the Prize in 2020 to recognise the most promising and pioneering research conducted by young researchers in the industry – an industry that faces the increasingly urgent challenge of combatting food scarcity and climate change throughout the food chain.

The world needs agricultural solutions that sustainably generate enough food for a growing population and this year’s prize-winning project will help deliver on this challenge to feed the future. The three winning projects will be tackling this challenge through sustainable and environmentally conscious farming practices.

Nutreco CEO, Fulco van Lede, said: “To feed a world population of 10 billion people by 2050, we must produce more food in the next 30 years than we have done in the last 8,000. To do this, we need to go beyond hypothetical ideas. Nutreco’s Young Researchers Prize not only celebrates the industry’s rising stars but helps turn their ideas into reality. By encouraging innovative, sustainable and adaptable solutions to the challenges we now face will set us on the right path to transforming not only the way we farm but also the future of food.”

Submissions

All submissions will be judged against how well they address at least one of the following challenges facing the industry:

1. Novel ingredients

As we work toward feeding a global population of almost 10 billion by 2050, the demand for high-quality protein is increasing. Innovative and sustainable ways to produce proteins are urgently needed – and novel ingredients will play a key role.

2. Antimicrobial resistance

It is estimated that by 2050, resistance to antibiotics will cause more deaths than cancer does today. This is one of the biggest public health challenges facing the world. The agriculture industry can play an important role in reducing the reliance on antibiotics within animal husbandry, which will ultimately have a positive impact on human health.

3. Reduction of greenhouse gases

As global temperatures continue to rise at an alarming rate, the industry’s brightest minds can help to reduce agriculture’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions through precision farming methods and digital solutions.

How to enter

To be considered, entrants must submit a 60-second video explaining their project and why it is a prize-winning solution to at least one of the above challenges.

Entrants must also submit a presentation that summarises their research in no more than 10 slides, together with their CV and any other supporting publications.

To apply, applicants must be completing their PhD or in their first or second year of post doctorate research. Submissions that refer to research ideas without results or implementation will not be considered.

To apply and for full Terms & Conditions, please visit Nutreco’s online submissions page.

Closing date

Final submissions are required by 11pm CET on Friday June 24, 2022.

The final shortlist of up to 10 candidates will then be decided by Nutreco’s judging panel of leading industry experts in the field of sustainable nutritional solutions. The shortlist will be announced on Monday August 29, 2022.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Netherlands in early October 2022.