The funder's mission is to address the challenge of unchecked agricultural production leading to global loss of natural vegetation, mainly at the expense of tropical forests and savannas. They aim to conserve critical ecosystems by engaging with the private sector to shift practices towards improved, deforestation-free production of globally traded commodities such as soy and beef, with an emphasis on regions like the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado, and the Chaco in Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
The grant program supports seismological research that underpins the Earthquake Early Warning system. This system is capable of detecting initial signals from distant earthquakes, providing warnings of shaking tens of seconds to minutes before it begins, thus allowing time to secure people and property. The program aims to issue warnings across a wide range of platforms including computers, cell phones, radios, TVs, and other systems with broad reach to the public, emphasizing the improvement of public safety and preparedness.