Latin Americans Among Finalists in UN Youth Ecopreneur Awards

Eight youth-led start-ups from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and South America have been named as finalists for the United Nations-led Youth Ecopreneur Awards. These awards, organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the G20 Global Land Initiative of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, will take place on September 21 on the sidelines of the United Nations Summit of the Future and New York Climate Week.

The finalists were selected from a pool of 850 young entrepreneurs representing over 100 countries, with a focus on developing countries. They are recognized for their innovative approaches to land restoration and green business solutions. Each finalist will pitch their business idea to a panel of judges to compete for a cash prize and business support services.

Among the finalists are two start-ups from Latin America:

• Fernando De Lucca, Ceres Seeding (Brazil): Focused on land restoration, Ceres Seeding utilizes drones to plant native seeds in degraded areas, aiming to restore ecosystems efficiently and sustainably.
• Andres Bisono Leon, SOS Carbon (Dominican Republic): In the land restoration category, SOS Carbon converts invasive seaweed into sustainable fertilizers, providing an environmentally friendly solution to a growing problem.

The agrifood-tech sector is also well represented among the finalists:

• Maryanne Gichanga, AgriTech Analytics Limited (Kenya): Uses AI-powered tools to help smallholder farmers combat soil degradation and increase crop yields.
• Wei Li Ng, Global Cerah Sdn Bhd (Malaysia): Focuses on transforming agricultural waste into alternative proteins and fertilizers, addressing both food security and waste management challenges.

The event is supported by the Government of Madagascar and the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth and will be hosted by ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton, alongside Madagascar’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Max Andonirina Fontaine, a former Youth Ecopreneur finalist.

Winners from each of the two categories—land restoration and green business solutions—will be awarded the Youth Ecopreneur Award, a $10,000 cash prize, and a suite of business support services provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization, Sidley Austin LLP, and Google Startups for Sustainable Development.