MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity 2024

In October 2024, Vera Voronova from Kazakhstan and Ysabel Agustina Calderón Carlos from Peru were awarded the 2024 MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity for their exceptional work in conservation and sustainability.

Vera Voronova, executive director of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, has played a key role in restoring Central Asia’s ecosystems and protecting endangered species, improving rural communities' livelihoods by involving them in conservation.
Ysabel Agustina Calderón Carlos, founder and CEO of Sumak Kawsay in Peru, focuses on preserving pollinators while boosting local economies, particularly benefiting Indigenous women and youth.
Calderón’s innovative “Bee Honey Route” combines honey production from native stingless bees, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable tourism, benefiting both the environment and local communities.
The MIDORI Prize, established by AEON Environmental Foundation and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, is awarded biennially to individuals for outstanding contributions to biodiversity protection.
Each winner receives a $100,000 cash prize and a commemorative plaque, with this year’s ceremony to be held on October 29, 2024, during COP 16 in Cali, Colombia.