FOODSHOT #1:
INNOVATING SOIL 3.0, DEEP DIVE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INAUGURAL FOODSHOT, INNOVATING SOIL
3.0 AND CHECK OUT OUR 2018-2019 ANNUAL REPORT.

When we launched our inaugural FoodShot, Innovating Soil 3.0, we made a long-term commitment to
building and implementing a new soil operating system, one that shifts global agricultural production
systems from extractive to restorative practices that establish soil as the foundation for a healthier, more
sustainable, and more equitable 21st century food system.
FOODSHOT #1: INNOVATING SOIL 3.0

WHY SOIL 3.0?
INNOVATION CAN ENABLE SOIL, ON A GLOBAL BASIS, TO SUSTAIN 10 BILLION
PEOPLE AND SUSTAIN THE PLANET

Soil began its journey as a mixture of organic matter and minerals, creating an evolutionary ecosystem that enabled agriculture to take root — this was Soil 1.0. With the advent of synthetic fertilizers and industrialized farming, soil has become a delivery medium for chemicals to fight weeds and pests and enhance yields — this is Soil 2.0.

While yields have indeed increased, this system is destorying soil organic matter, turning soil into dirt, leaching fertilizers, and creating an over-reliance on irrigation, reduced capacity to withstand drought, and higher input costs for farmers. Ultimately, Soil 2.0 cannot meet the demands of a growing global population and a resource-constrained planet where we have to grow more with less. We need a new soil operating system.
In its inaugural annual FoodShot, we aim to identify breakthrough solutions that create the new soil operating system — Soil 3.0 — in which advances in biology, chemistry, data, genetics, machine learning, and technology will re-establish a symbiotic relationship between agriculture and soil in our modern food system. Soil 3.0 will enable soil, on a global basis, to sustain 10 billion people and sustain the planet.

INNOVATING SOIL 3.0 SOLUTIONS
FoodShot Global winners will build a new soil foundation by providing technological or ecological tools that enable farmers to maximize the long-term health of the land and reverse the trend of Soil 2.0, in which inputs prioritize near-term agricultural yields at the expense of future fertility.
INNOVATION PRIORITIES
With this next iteration of the soil deep dive, we are restating our commitment to some of the original focus areas, as well as adding new, groundbreaking topics
Microbiome Functionality
Understanding how the soil and plant microbiome interact to impact nutrient cycling and bioavailability in crops, the connection between the human and soil microbiome, advances in the efficacy of bio-based soil amendments, and better ways to harness the functional attributes of the soil microbiome.
Rapid Adoption of Regenerative Practices
Approaches and decision support tools that radically increase farmer adoption of regenerative soil management, including strategies to ensure that the transition is inclusive of historically excluded farmers.
Climate Change Resiliency and Adaptation
Strategies and technologies that both restore degraded soil and limit the further expansion of agriculture's footprint, as well as a better understanding of soil amendments and their efficacy.
Soil/Nutrient Connection
Tools and approaches that allow evaluation of how different management practices (organic, regenerative, etc.) impact nutrient content and bioavailability in various crops.
PROCESS

FOODSHOT GLOBAL WILL EVALUATE AND ADVANCE EQUITY APPLICATIONS ON AN ONGOING BASIS TO ALIGN COMPANIES SEEKING CAPITAL WITH OUR VENTURE PARTNERS.