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£3.5 million climate change fund established to shake agri-food sector
SHAKE will fund and train entrepreneurs and start-ups who have early stage science or tech-based solutions
A consortium of leading scientific research and academic institutions has formed to identify innovative solutions to tackle climate change linked to the agri-food sector.
The SHAKE Climate Change programme is specifically designed to attract entrepreneurs or start-ups who have developed early stage science or tech-based ideas that can have a significant impact on climate change, as well as form the basis of a sustainable and socially responsible business within the sector.
SHAKE Climate Change brings together experts from Rothamsted Research, Cranfield University, University College London, and the University of Hertfordshire with the financial backing of the Societe Generale UK Foundation to deliver world-class science, technology and business expertise to the programme.
Ideas can relate to any point in the food production chain, which contributes more than a quarter of global climate change emissions.
Over the nine-year programme, 15 successful ventures will receive up to a total amount of £140,000 each, plus two years of high-quality training and mentoring from leading experts in business and science, to help further develop their ventures.
Professor Angela Karp, Director of Science Innovation, Engagement and Partnerships at Rothamsted Research, who co-developed the programme with the partners, said: “There has been a lot of publicity recently around the environmental impact of eating meat – but the contribution of agri-food to our climate footprint is so much more complex and wider than that.
“Fossil fuel use for farm machinery, transport, refrigeration, fertiliser production all contribute. The way soils are managed can have a huge effect – not just on CO2 or methane, but nitrous oxide emissions too. Then there’s the whole issue of how agricultural wastes can be reduced or recycled, moving towards a circular economy.
“In many people’s eyes, food and farming are fast becoming climate villains, but there is huge potential for this sector to ultimately become the heroes. There are so many possible angles you can attack this problem from.”
Shake Climate Change is funded by the Societe Generale UK Foundation, the independent corporate foundation of the UK branch of Societe Generale Group. Education and employability are the two key pillars of the Group’s Citizenship programme, with promoting innovation and supporting entrepreneurs central to its wider strategy.
A spokesperson for the Societe Generale UK Foundation Board of Trustees said: “Through this funding, the SG UK Foundation is able to help to fund a significant programme to be carried out by Rothamsted Research which aims to leverage the best minds in science and business and combine this with entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, and the technological know-how of teams and individuals to truly make a difference in addressing the climate agenda.
“As well as receiving funding under the programme, entrepreneurs will benefit from mentoring and training programmes from world-class institutions to help make their projects viable, which can in turn lead to the creation of jobs in this important area.”
This summer, approximately 30 entrepreneurs or teams will be selected to participate in a one-week residential intensive workshop culminating in them pitching their ideas to a panel of experts.
Of this initial cohort, around ten entrepreneurs and teams will be chosen for a further three-months of intense training to build their ventures.
Around five ventures will then be recommended for up to a total amount of £140,000 each to develop their businesses under continual mentorship for a further 8-12 months, followed by aftercare support.
Two additional similar waves will follow with the programme continuing to support entrepreneurs until 2027.
Interested applicants should visit the www.shakeclimate.org website or email the programme manager, Tinne Midtgaard at info@shakeclimate.org
ABOUT ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH
Rothamsted Research is the longest-running agricultural research institute in the world. We work from gene to field with a proud history of ground-breaking
discoveries in areas as diverse as crop management, statistical interpretation and soil health. Our founders, in 1843, were the pioneers of modern
agriculture, and we are known for our imaginative science and our collaborative approach to developing innovative farm practice.
Through independent research, we make significant contributions to improving agri-food systems in the UK and internationally, with
economic impact estimated to exceed £3 bn in annual contribution to the UK economy. Our strength lies in our systems approach, which combines strategic research,
interdisciplinary teams and multiple partnerships.
Rothamsted is home to three unique National Bioscience Research Infrastructures which are open to researchers from all over the world:
The Long-Term Experiments,
Rothamsted Insect Survey and the
North Wyke Farm Platform.
We are strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with additional support from other national and
international funding streams, and from industry. We are also supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust (LAT).
ABOUT BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid
from the UK government.
BBSRC invests to push back the frontiers of biology and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future. Through our investments, we build and support a vibrant,
dynamic and inclusive community which delivers ground-breaking discoveries and develops bio-based solutions that contribute to tackling global challenges,
such as sustainable food production, climate change, and healthy ageing.
As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), we not only play a pivotal role in fostering connections that enable the UK’s world-class research and innovation system
to flourish – we also have a responsibility to enable the creation of a research culture that is diverse, resilient, and engaged.
BBSRC proudly forges interdisciplinary collaborations where excellent bioscience has a fundamental role. We pioneer approaches that enhance the equality, diversity,
and inclusion of talent by investing in people, infrastructure, technologies, and partnerships on a global scale.
ABOUT LAT
The Lawes Agricultural Trust, established in 1889 by Sir John Bennet Lawes, supports Rothamsted Research’s national and international agricultural science through the provision of land, facilities and funding. LAT, a charitable trust, owns the estates at Harpenden and Broom's Barn, including many of the buildings used by Rothamsted Research. LAT provides an annual research grant to the Director, accommodation for nearly 200 people, and support for fellowships for young scientists from developing countries. LAT also makes capital grants to help modernise facilities at Rothamsted, or invests in new buildings.