Samyak Shrimali from Portland, USA is the next finalist to be presented for the Children’s Climate Prize

From hundreds of applicants from over 30 countries around the world, the jury for the Children's Climate Prize 2022 has selected this year's five finalists. One of them is Samyak Shrimali, 17 years old from Portland, USA. With the PlantifyAI mobile app, Samyak has identified a global challenge and found a solution - a tool for efficient crop disease detection and treatment. Given the potential scalability of PlantifyAI, Samyak's technology can result in great impact for both economical and social sustainability worldwide.

Crop diseases are a major threat to human food security. Around the world, substantial amounts of agricultural yield is lost due to pests, pathogens and other bacteria. This leads to a mass disruption in food supply and large amounts of unnecessary greenhouse gasses. Identifying a disease correctly is a crucial first step for efficient treatment but remains difficult in many parts of the world due to limited access to agricultural experts and professional infrastructure. Samyak Shrimali from Portland, USA wanted to change that, and therefore developed the PlantifyAI mobile app. An impressive work noticed by the jury for the Children's Climate Prize, who appointed Samyak as one of this year's five finalists.

- I am extremely honored to be named a finalist for the Children’s Climate Prize and very excited to represent youth advocacy and innovation along with a group of brilliantly talented and passionate environmentalists!, says Samyak.

PlantifyAI is a mobile application that utilizes deep-learning AI algorithms to efficiently and accurately detect crop diseases in plants. When detected, the app also provides treatment steps, common symptoms, and access to recommended curing products. With PlantifyAI, Samyak has provided a free, easy-to-use, and widely accessible tool, directly into the hands of the farmers, which has the potential to significantly increase global food security, and thus reduce hunger and greenhouse gas emissions.

- I believe that we as youth are the catalysts that will bring a cleaner, greener, and safer future, and through PlantifyAI, I hope to continue to inspire others to work for a common goal of mitigating climate change and other sustainability issues, Samyak continues.

In November, the winner of the Children's Climate Prize 2022 will be announced, who will then receive a diploma, medal and prize money of SEK 100,000 to continue developing their project. For Samyak, it is already clear what he would do if he is the one to receive the award and the prize money.

- Winning the Children's Climate Prize would be a dream come true, as it would provide me with the necessary funding to fully deploy my mobile application in the hands of every farmer around the world and expand my climate advocacy exponentially on a global level to reach a broader audience!

PlantifyAI - a mobile application for efficient crop disease detection and treatment
Samyak Shrimali, 17 years old from Portland, USA

Jury motivation:
With PlantifyAI, Samyak has recognized a global challenge and found a solution. By using AI technology, the mobile application can be beneficial for farmers all over the world, as it provides a proactive tool that saves food resources. Samyak shows a systemized approach: detect - prevent - cure, which, given the potential scalability to adapt to different local environments, can result in great impact for both economical and social sustainability worldwide.