Global challenges in population growth and climate change call for out-of-the-box solutions. Lely invests in innovations that contribute to sustainability and greater transparency and that prioritize improving the lives of farmers and animals in the food production process. The Feed the Future Challenge was designed to tackle four key areas in global dairy farming: farm animal welfare, pioneering enhancements of machinery, sustainable and efficient production, and transparency in the information chain.
“Lely has a strong focus on the future of dairy farming and we are always looking for new ways of creating a more profitable, enjoyable and sustainable future. The Feed the Future event is an important initiative to find the next generation of passionate, bright entrepreneurs who can apply their innovations to our sector. We are looking forward to working and innovating together with startups.” -Martijn Boelens, CTO, Lely
Kim Geesink, Corporate Engagement Director, Rockstart also commented: “At Rockstart, our job is to identify, accelerate and invest in the next startups that will revolutionize their industry, therefore working with Lely on Feed the Future 2021 (for the second time!) is very fitting. This year we have the benefit of putting our learnings into practice, and can run an even better program resulting in higher quality partnerships between the startups and Lely.”
The Feed the Future Challenge 2021 is aligned with Lely’s ‘Farm of the Future Vision’. The cow is at the heart of this vision. Repetitive tasks will be automated and the dairy farmer will be able to focus on things that are really important for him or her. There is also increasingly more consideration for the impact of farming on the environment and stricter regulations. All these elements are part of the Farm of the Future Vision, where circularity and transparency of the dairy farm are further developed. Applicants are therefore invited to submit proposals in line with the following themes for Feed the Future Challenge 2021: Farm Animal Health and Hygiene, Pioneering Enhancements of Machinery, Sustainable and Efficient Production, and Transparency in the Information Chain.
Startups can find more information and apply here: https://feedthefuture.io/activity/challenge-2021/.
The application deadline is May 15, 2021.
