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Appsilon provided pro-bono services and developed an easy-to-use, open-source, scalable software tool called Mbaza AI to help conservationists monitor some of the iconic and most endangered species – African forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, and pangolins in West Gabon. This tool was built in collaboration with researchers at the University of Stirling and The National Parks Agency of Gabon (ANPN). The Mbaza AI model can classify about 3,000 images per hour on desktop computers used by park rangers and ecologists in the field, without access to powerful cloud computing resources.

The Good Food Institute works to make plant-based and cultivated meat delicious, affordable and accessible. Its goal in doing so is to mitigate the environmental impact of our food system, reduce the risk of disease and ultimately feed a greater number of people with fewer resources. We spoke to Sophie Armour, Communications Manager at GFI Europe, to find out about her experience of being matched with SeoFly through Tech To The Rescue. 

The past decade has fortunately seen a rise in the amount of companies across a range of different sectors looking to support animal rights causes. We’ve seen a strengthened understanding, particularly in the clothing and food retail industries, that animals have an inherent worth - a value that is entirely separate from their usefulness to humans. Animal rights are no longer considered a philosophy. In the words of one of the biggest animal welfare charities, Peta, it is “it is a social movement that challenges society’s traditional view that all nonhuman animals exist solely for human use.”

ProVeg International is a food awareness organization with the mission to reduce the global consumption of animals by 50% by the year 2040. It supports and connects startups and global partners in advancing plant-based and cultured-food innovation. They found out about Tech to the Rescue and were quickly matched with Silevis, a software development agency based in Poland. We spoke to Fabio Venturini, Head of Digital and Brands, and Daniel Braune, Head of Research at ProVeg, to find out more about how the project came about and the impact that it’s had on the organization. 

Most individuals agree that animal welfare is a subject that should be important to us all, and that it’s our duty to make sure that all animals are treated respectfully, responsibly and humanely. But sadly, animal exploitation is still rife, with many creatures around the world being exploited and subjected to suffering, due to being used for entertainment, fashion or scientific advancement. 

Can we make food (supply) systems more sustainable? The current practices have been established and widely accepted for years, so changing them is a difficult task that requires a systematic approach. Banks can play a significant role in the process. How can they influence the system and make a positive change?