2012 Philadelphia Zoo University Unless Prize

The Philadelphia Zoo invites you to join our efforts to save the critically-endangered orangutan by competing to win $10,000 in the groundbreaking 2012 University UNLESS Prize. All students nationwide who are enrolled in a university degree program are eligible to compete.
Palm oil is the world’s most widely produced vegetable oil and can be found in almost 50% of the packaged foods we eat. Palm oil is also an ingredient in many non-food items including shampoo, cosmetics, lipstick and lotion.

The conversion of natural forests to oil palm plantations has destroyed much of the orangutans’ habitat.

If the nature of palm oil production does not change, it is estimated that wild orangutans will become extinct in as few as 25 years.

By increasing the market demand for certified sustainable palm oil we can save orangutans and their habitat.

Your challenge is to develop the most innovative mobile device application to link consumers with palm oil product manufacturers and help increase market demand for certified sustainable palm oil.

For more information, check out Competition Details.