The Belmont Forum is pleased to reveal the winning entries of our 2026 Transdisciplinary Photo Competition. In 2026, participants captured not only spectacular visuals but also powerful narratives that highlight global change research and societal engagement worldwide. Through these images, we celebrate the talented people and communities driving sustainability transformation.
First Place
Title: Through the Lens of Co-Creation: Framing Passion for Sustainable Food Supply
CRA: SSCP 2022
Project: Co-SFSC
Photographer: Ying-Chen Lin
Location: Beidou Township, Changhua County, Chinese Taip
The Story
Launched in 2023, the international Co-SFSC consortium brings together researchers from Chinese Taipei, Germany, Thailand, Turkey, Sweden, and the USA to explore pathways for sustainable food supply chain transformations. Over a three-year period, the team has conducted field cross-visits worldwide, documenting these transdisciplinary journeys through film.
Captured during a field visit on Nov 01, 2024, this photograph illustrates the filming process in Changhua, Chinese Taipei. The camera frames Mr. Kuang-Ching Chen, founder of “Taiwan Soybean Farmer” and a vital local partner of the national Hub. Originally a semiconductor engineer, Mr. Chen transitioned from his high-tech career to establish a family-scale agribusiness dedicated to eco-friendly soybean cultivation, driven by a commitment to food safety and regional agricultural health.
Supported by the “Big Granary Programme” initiated in 2016, his farm successfully bridges national policy and grassroots action by integrating agriculture, local food heritage, and community education. In 2024, “Taiwan Soybean Farmer” made history as the first small-scale agribusiness to win Chinese Taipei’s National Environmental Education Award. Beyond climate-responsive farming, Mr. Chen’s philosophy centers on preserving local soybean culinary heritage and developing innovative local products—a rare, highly successful model analyzed in detail in a recent peer-reviewed publication (https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2026.2655452).
The visual metaphor of this image is profound. Through the small rectangular window of the camera monitor, we see a snapshot of a local field in Chinese Taipei. Yet, bursting out of that very frame is Mr. Chen’s immense dedication to food education. By capturing the soul of this local pioneer through digital media, the Co-SFSC project exemplifies transdisciplinary engagement, illuminating how individual transformation and grassroots dedication can breathe life into national sustainability policies to drive inspiring societal impact.
Second Place
Title: No one survives alone
ALP 2026
Project: Ngen – Mawida
Photographer: Pablo Alcorta Briganti
Location: Argentina, Río Negro province, El Bolsón
The Story
In northwest Patagonia, Argentina, environmental vulnerabilities are intensifying. The rapid expansion of urban-forest interface zones and the ecological impact of invasive exotic species have combined to create a scenario increasingly conducive to severe forest fires. This photograph documents a critical moment of community mobilization, in which a group of local farmers uses their horses to transport heavy equipment for the forest fire service, facilitating the installation of more than two kilometers of hoses and water pumps in rugged terrain.
The image underscores a strong characteristic of the Comarca Andina valleys, located on the border between the provinces of Río Negro and Chubut: the active coexistence and collaboration of diverse cultures. Facing institutional gaps, these communities have taken on proactive roles to address the fire crisis directly, coordinating immediate responses, managing post-fire damage reconstruction, and leading forest restoration initiatives. This scene demonstrates that localized, community-driven responses are often more agile and adaptive than formal government interventions when confronting regional emergencies.
Third Place:
Title: From Carbonate Caves to Green Carbonates for Society
CRA: CEH 2019
Project: ACCENTS-4-CO2
Photographer: Dr. Itani Given Madiba
Location: South Africa, Western Cape, Cape Town, Somerset West
The Story
In South Africa’s Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn, vast calcium carbonate formations reveal one of nature’s oldest carbon stories: the slow transformation of water, minerals, and dissolved carbon into stone over geological eras. This photograph places that ancient natural phenomenon into direct dialogue with modern sustainable technology via the ACCENTS-4-CO2 project, where researchers are reimagining carbonate formation through green chemistry.
In the foreground, the composition displays plant leaves, natural extracts, water, and carbonate powder, representing a low-energy pathway developed in the laboratory for converting CO2 into bio-engineered, multifunctional carbonates. In the background, the cavernous formations serve as a stark reminder that carbonate minerals are a fundamental part of Earth’s long-term carbon cycle, rather than isolated laboratory products.
The ACCENTS-4-CO2 initiative bridges environmental action with materials science, chemistry, agriculture, water security, energy, health, education, and public engagement. By leveraging natural extracts and mild processing conditions, the project seeks to transform carbon dioxide from an environmental burden into useful materials tailored for the Water-Energy-Food-Health Nexus, including nano-fertilizers, solar-energy materials, water-related climate technologies, and drug-carrier platforms.
Sincere congratulations to our winners and an extension of gratitude to everyone who participated, submitted, and voted in this year’s competition. Your visual and narrative contributions continue to bring global change research to life in compelling, accessible, and public-facing ways.