Carousel Productions launched the first Miss Earth in 2001 as an international environmental event with the mission of using the beauty pageant entertainment industry as a tool to promote environmental preservation. The pageant was first formally introduced in a press conference on April 3, 2001.
In October 2001, Miss Earth adopted the slogan « Beauties For a Cause« , with the first « Beauty for a Cause » prize awarded in 2003.
Since 2002, the pageant has been mainly held in the Philippines, with live broadcasts in more than 80 countries via Fox Life, The Filipino Channel, and Metro Channel.
In 2002, Džejla Glavović of Bosnia & Herzegovina won the title that year. However, on May 28, 2003, the Miss Earth Foundation officially dethroned her « due to her failure to comply with the stipulations in her contract. » Miss Air from Kenya, Winfred Omwakwe, took over the position of Miss Earth 2002. Omwakwe was formally crowned as the new Miss Earth 2002 on August 7, 2003 at the Carousel Gardens in Mandaluyong, Philippines.
Participating countries
In 2003, Miss Earth surpassed Miss International to become the third largest international beauty pageant by number of participating countries. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, by 2020 and 2022, Miss Earth surpassed Miss Universe, the world’s second oldest international beauty pageant, to become the second largest international beauty pageant by number of participating countries.
On November 4, 2008, the first Miss Earth Eco-Fashion Design Competition was launched by the Miss Earth Foundation as an annual event for professional and non-professional fashion designers to come up with designs that are eco-friendly. The outfit designs are made from recyclable, natural materials, organic materials, and eco-chic designs or patterns that can be worn in everyday life or are runway worthy.
In 2003, Vida Samadzai, an Afghan, now residing in the United States, received press attention after she competed in a red bikini. Samadzai was the first Afghan to compete in an international beauty pageant in almost three decades, but the fact that she wore a bikini caused an uproar in her native country. Her involvement in the pageant was condemned by the Afghan Supreme Court, saying such a display of the female body goes against Islamic law and Afghan culture.
In 2005, a Pakistani beauty queen, Naomi Zaman, was the first Miss Pakistan World winner to participate in Miss Earth, and is the first delegate from Pakistan to compete in any major international pageant; beauty pageants are frowned upon in Pakistan.
Miss Tibet Earth 2006, Tsering Chungtak, the first Tibetan to represent Tibet in any major international beauty pageant, made headlines when she drew international attention towards the Tibetan struggle for freedom. She also advocated for the boundaries of acceptable social etiquette towards the 21st century, in a traditionally conservative Tibetan culture, where most grown women wear ankle-length dresses. Nevertheless, her participation in the pageant received approval from the Dalai Lama.
Carousel Productions licensed the Miss Cuba organization in 2007 to select the first Cuban representative at Miss Earth. Ariana Barouk won; she became the first Miss Cuba in several decades, and competed at the Miss Earth pageant. Also in 2007 pageant, Miss Earth made history when delegates from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Tibet all competed together for the first time in an international pageant in spite of political sensitivities.
In 2008, the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan, one of the world’s most isolated nations, sent its first Miss Bhutan, Tsokye Tsomo Karchun. Rwanda also sent its first ever Miss Rwanda national winner, Cynthia Akazuba; both of them competed at the Miss Earth 2008 pageant.
In 2009, Beauties of Africa, Inc., the franchise holder of Miss Earth South Sudan sent Aheu Kidum Deng, Miss South Sudan 2009, who stands 196 cm (6 feet and 5 inches), and is the tallest documented beauty queen ever to take part in any international beauty pageants.
Palestine debuted in one of the Big Four pageants in 2016 via Miss Earth when Natali Rantissi represented Palestine with the approval of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the State of Palestine and Palestinian National Authority, where she made a courtesy call at the Moukata Palace prior to her departure to participate in the pageant. Miss Palestine refused to wear a bikini but was allowed to partake in the events including in the Miss Earth 2016 finale.
Also in the 2016 pageant, the Miss Iraq Organization sent Susan Amer Sulaimani as Iraq’s first representative since 1972 in Big Four pageants to participate in Miss Earth 2016. She was the only one who wore a dress instead of a bikini during the pageant’s press-conference.
In the 2017 pageant, Miss Rwanda Honorine Hirwa Uwase appeared in the swimsuit competition wearing a gown, maintaining a long-held Rwanda tradition of not wearing bikinis in public.
Miss Lebanon 2018 Salwa Akar received international press attention when she was stripped of her title in Lebanon, while participating in Miss Earth 2018 pageant after she posted a photo in Facebook with her arm around Miss Israel’s Dana Zerik and gestured the peace sign. Lebanon and Israel are in a long-standing state of war. As a result, she was unable to continue her participation in the Miss Earth pageant. In a press release, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman Ofir Gendelman, reacted on Akar’s dethronement and condemned the « Lebanese apartheid ».
Papua New Guinea sent its first representative in the Miss Earth 2019 pageant with Pauline Tibola, becoming the first representative in the Big Four international beauty pageants since Miss World 1990.
In 2020, the 20th edition of Miss Earth marked the entrant of countries such as Bangladesh (Meghna Alam), Burkina Faso (Amira Naïmah Bassané) and Syria (Tiya Alkerdi). It was the second time Burkina Faso participated in the Big Four pageants after Miss International 2019 and first for Syria to participate in major international pageant in several decades after Miss World 1966.
The Miss Iran Organization crowned Hami Zaker in 2021 as its first Miss Earth Iran in which she competed in the Miss Earth 2021 and became the first Iranian woman to participate in the Big Four international pageant. She participated in the swimsuit competition, albeit in a conservative outfit that recognized her nation’s cultural background.
At Miss Earth 2022, Burundi participated in their first Big Four pageant with Lauria Nishimwe. Cabo Verde (Tayrine da Veiga) and Senegal (Camilla Diagné) also debuted at this event.
In 2024, the Arab nations of Algeria (Sadjia Herbane) and the United Arab Emirates (Noura Al Jasmi) competed in the pageant for the first time. This marked the United Arab Emirates’ debut in any major international pageant.
Miss Earth Foundation
In 2004, the Miss Earth Foundation was created to further the pageant’s causes and to work with local and international groups and non-governmental organizations that are actively involved in conservation and the improvement of the environment. The Miss Earth Foundation campaign focuses on educating young people in environmental awareness.has also teamed up with The Climate Reality Project for the « Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training », conducted by its founder and chairman, environmentalist and former US Vice President Al Gore.
In 2006, Miss Earth is a co-host of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth, an annual international environment awards established in 2005 by the United Nations to recognize outstanding environmental achievers and leaders at a policy level. Miss Earth and Greenpeace have also joined in the call for a ban on genetically-engineered food crops, promotion of organic farming and advancement of sustainable agriculture.
The Miss Earth Foundation works with the environmental departments and ministries of the participating countries, various private sector and corporations, as well as the World Wildlife Foundation.
Titleholders spend their year promoting their specific projects and environmental causes through speaking engagements, roundtable discussions, school tours, tree planting activities, street campaigns, cleanups, shopping mall tours, media guesting, environmental fairs, storytelling programs to children, eco-fashion shows, and other environmentally oriented activities.
