DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge

The Mills Fabrica and DFI Retail Group, a leading Asian retailer, are collaborating to host this innovation challenge to identify scalable, cost-effective solutions that advance decarbonisation and sustainability across beef, dairy, and broader food systems—without compromising animal health or productivity. Visionary startups and researchers worldwide are invited to showcase transformative solutions. The winning solution will receive a grant of HK$120,000 from DFI Retail Group to accelerate development and scale impacts.

The DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge is currently accepting applications until 8 March, 2026. The finalists announcement will be in early May 2026,  with an ensuing final pitching session on 5 June, 2026.

The Challenge

The beef and dairy industries face growing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint while maintaining productivity and animal welfare. This urgency calls for innovation that mitigates greenhouse gas emissions and fosters a more sustainable future for livestock production.

This challenge calls for innovations that address greenhouse gas emissions, circularity, and sustainable practices across production, processing, and distribution, and that, at the same time, improve animal welfare and productivity, reduce costs, or provide tangible benefits to farmers.

Potential areas for innovation include:

• Monitoring and data technologies that track and optimise emissions reduction.
• Novel business models or farm practices that reduce or sequester emissions.
• Feed additives or ingredients that suppress methane formation.
• Breeding or genetic strategies that lower emissions or improve productivity.
• Microbial or enzyme-based interventions that target methane-producing pathways.
• ... and more.

In terms of judging criteria, every submission will undergo assessment across three key areas:

• Innovation:
  • The solution should show significant potential for integration with existing systems and technologies in the market.
  • The company should – at a minimum – have developed a prototype or piloted the solution with success.
  • Consideration will be given to the novelty of ideas, advanced technologies, and effective problem-solving capabilities.
• Scalability:
  • The solution needs to be proven commercially viable for farmers or participating organisations.
  • The solution should demonstrate the potential for market growth, operational capacity for larger implementation, and a clear growth strategy.
• Sustainability:
  • The solution should demonstrate clear environmental, social, and economic impacts.
  • Projects should minimise environmental harm, promote social equity, and present a viable long-term business model.

Benefits for Innovators

DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge aims to unlock transformative sustainability solutions through strategic collaborations between startups and corporates, empowering innovators to:

• Provide innovative solutions designed to meet global challenges and organisational demand.
• Gain recognition and engage with a panel of industry experts.
• Explore potential partnership opportunities with DFI Retail Group.
• Stand a chance to win a prize of HK$120,000 to develop their sustainable solution further!