How do you reduce Switzerland’s FOODprint?

After the Pitch Night

These are our Spotlight winners!

On October 26, the winners of the Clima Now Spotlight 2023 were selected at Kraftwerk Zurich. See here the three winners that prevailed with the jury and the winner selected by our audience. We congratulate them and look forward to the implementation of their ideas on how to reduce Switzerland’s FOODprint!

How do you reduce Switzerland’s FOODprint?

Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Those emissions happen along the whole food chain and each step can be improved by innovative solutions. What can we do against that?

With Clima Now Spotlight 2023 we set the focus on our FOODprint and we called for ideas to reduce it.

Spotlight 2024

The next Call for ideas opens on May 6th 2024!

Keep me up to date!

The Award

We give you and your idea a stage, the spotlight and the chance to win up to 100’000 CHF!

The community – you – chooses which projects will be invited as finalists to the pitchnight on October 26th.

Winners and all finalists get the opportunity to realize their ideas with inputs in the horizon program where we partnered up with the Impact Hub Zurich and One Planet Lab Switzerland.
Additional places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

The Process

1. Submit idea

Ideas can be submitted via our application form until July 27, 2023, 11:59 a.m. CEST.

Describe yourself and your vision and fill out our Mission Model Canvas (Word | PDF). The document helps to capture important aspects of the project.

In order for us to present the idea on our website, you also have to upload pictures of yourself or your team and an introduction video of maximum two minutes. Afterwards, our jury will make a preliminary selection to determine which ideas will advance to the next round and be published on our «Wall of Fame» on the Clima Now Spotlight website.

2. Public Voting

Fame to whom fame is due. All ideas pre-selected by the jury will be posted on the Clima Now Spotlight website from September 1, 2023. On our «Wall of Fame» these ideas will get their own place and can be discussed, shared and rated by the public.

The Clima Now community votes publicly: all visitors to the website can cast three votes each until September 15, 2023. They decide which seven ideas will make it to Pitch Night. Fingers crossed!

3. Pitch Night

The seven winners of the public voting will present themselves live at the Pitch Night on October 26, 2023 at Kraftwerk Zurich. Who will convince the jury? All finalists have four minutes to present their idea in the spotlight.

In the subsequent evaluation by the jury, the projects will be chosen. Those who come through the final round with flying colors have already achieved a lot and will reap fame, funding and support. Are you in? The stage is yours!

The Jury

Proven experts from the fields of science, impact, food technology and alternative proteins provide Clima Now with their knowledge. They review all submitted ideas and make a preliminary selection. At the Pitch Night, they provide valuable input and select the winning projects.

Anna Peters Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund

Anna Peters is an expert in the areas of sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and inclusive business, with a focus on food trade, retail/retail trade. Since 2014 project lead sustainability at Migros. In this position her main focus areas are climate and biodiversity. Co-author of numerous publications and articles.

To the interview on the Clima Now Blog.

Christine Brombach ZHAW and Ernährungsforum Zürich

Christine Brombach is a lecturer at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Wädenswil, CH. Studied Oecotrophology in Giessen and USA (MSc.), doctorate at the University of Giessen, project coordinator of the National Nutrition Study II at the Max Rubner Institute in Karlsruhe (D) for four years.

To the interview on the Clima Now Blog.

Flavio Hagenbuch Luya Foods

Flavio Hagenbuch, co-founder of Luya Foods, has a background in culinary arts and sustainability, having studied at the Institut Paul Bocuse and ETH Zurich. After working in management consulting and finance, Flavio decided to focus on building a sustainable food system. In 2021, he co-founded Luya Foods, which uses mushroom fermentation to create natural and succulent alternatives to meat from organic okra and chickpeas.

To the interview on the Clima Now Blog.

Freddy Hunziker New Roots AG

Freddy Hunziker, a former junior European champion in downhill mountain biking, became a vegan for ethical reasons but missed cheese. Combining traditional fermentation techniques with innovative, organic ingredients, he launched an award-winning alternative to Camembert in 2016. This led to the creation of New Roots, a fossil-free production start-up that now employs 27 people. Freddy won the Swiss Economic Award in 2019 and was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021.

To the interview on the Clima Now Blog.

Mauricio Benitez Big Valley GmbH

Mauricio Benitez is developing new investment solutions related to climate financing, sustainable food, and natural capital. Currently working in a Climate Impact Fund to address key challenges in the global food system.  Mauricio is a Swiss-Bolivian economist with an MEcon degree from the University of the Western Cape and an MA in Development Management from the Ruhr University Bochum.

Michelle Grant The Great Full and ETHZ World Food System Center

Michelle Grant is the founder of The Great Full, a platform that fosters leadership towards just, generative and joyful food systems, communities and lives. Michelle was previously the founding Executive Director at the ETH Zurich World Food System Center, and she continues to lecture at ETH Zurich on sustainable food systems and leadership themes.

To the interview on the Clima Now Blog.

Franziska Heidenreich myclimate and Clima Now

Franziska Heidenreich was a member of the executive board of the myclimate foundation and head of carbon offset projects for more than 10 years and now builds programs for bilateral carbon offset for myclimate. Franziska holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations, a master’s degree in Environmental Science, and a postgraduate degree in Development Policy.

Martin Meili Clima Now

Martin Meili took part in the first Earth Day in 1970 as an exchange student in the USA and was already confronted with the problems of climate change and the “point of no return”. With his commitment to Clima Now, he wants to ensure that suitable solutions are finally promoted and appropriate measures are taken.

Represented Companies within the Jury

You want to showcase your idea?

The next Call for ideas opens on May 6th 2024!

Keep me up to date!