The WFP Innovation Accelerator identifies, supports and scales high-potential solutions to hunger worldwide. Innovation is important in order for WFP (and other agencies) to deliver on the mandate to end hunger. The Innovation Accelerator offers financial support, training and access to WFP partners and technical experts. Selected teams get an opportunity to develop their projects and receive up to US$ 100 thousand. The 2019 Programme Dates There were 3 cohorts in 2019 and very soon the 3rd cohort will close on the 8th of July 2019 and all eligible start-ups are encouraged to apply. The...
A new publication by FAO that maps the adoption and use of digital innovations and technologies in agriculture has been published. The full report can be downloaded in the following links The full status report in English, link http://www.fao.org/3/ca4985en/ca4985en.pdf , The briefing paper in six UN languages through links below: http://www.fao.org/3/ca4887zh/ca4887zh.pdf (Chinese): http://www.fao.org/3/ca4887es/ca4887es.pdf (Spanish): http://www.fao.org/3/ca4887ru/ca4887ru.pdf (Russian) http://www.fao.org/3/ca4887fr/ca4887fr.pdf (French) http://www.fao.org/3/ca4887ar/ca4887ar.pdf (Arabic)...
The Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) has published the digitalisation of African Agriculture Report . The report advocates for the digital agricultural transformation that can feed Africa. In his launch statement, the CTA Director, Michael Hailu stated, “at CTA, we know and understand the power to digitalise African agriculture. But we also understand that the evidence that will attract targeted investments to further develop D4Ag on the continent is lacking”. The emphasis towards digitalisation for agriculture (D4Ag) has been growing over the last decade. For...
FAO develops livestock-tracking system to help pig farmers expand their markets In Papua New Guinea, no celebration is complete without a pig roast. As one of the few mammals living on the island, pigs play an important role in the country’s culture and economy. Traditionally, smallholder farmers—who raise the vast majority of pigs—have sold their livestock locally, but a rise in global demand for pork means new opportunities to access international markets. Consequently, farmers are looking for a way to prove that their livestock meets international standards—and are now turning to...
The curtain came down for the FAO Digital Agriculture Transformation Semina r on the 13th of June at FAO headquarters. The seminar was attended by several hundred participants and included government ministers, representatives of civil society and the private sector, non-governmental organizations and others. The FAO Director General had the pleasure to invite Mr. Chang-Gyu Hwang, CEO, Korea Telecom (KT) who opened the seminar with an impressive summary of the possibilities that digital technologies have for agriculture, and what KT has done and is doing. The two day event saw the first day...
The African Development Bank and its partners on the 13th of June, 2019 launched the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI) , designed to aid safety and expansion of digital financial transactions in Africa. The Fund, launched at the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Government of Luxembourg, as initial contributors. The fund will deploy $100 million in grants and $300 million in the form of debt from the Bank’s ordinary capital resources by 2030, to...
The FAO Digital Services Portfolio is a project that was started in November 2016 in Rulindo, Rwanda and Tambacounda, Senegal.The project included the development and distribution of 4 mobile applications to smallholder farmers. This project comes as a realisation that digital services are changing how farmers work and also from the understanding that ICTs can maximise various social support services for farmers – such services include rural advisory services, financial services and social protection programmes, access to market information and disease control. The four apps were the Cure and...
The GSMA has announced GSMA Innovation Fund for eight grants of £220,000 each to support projects for 24 months duration. The GSMA Innovation Fund for Digitisation of Agricultural Value Chains aims to scale digital solutions for the agricultural last mile and improve smallholders’ financial inclusion, livelihood and climate resilience. Grants are available across two categories of application Applications for funding across both categories are assessed through a two-stage application process. Concept Note: The first step will be to submit a Concept Note, which outlines the project objectives...
The Alliance for a Green Revolution (AGRA) is launching a Call for Rural Innovative Solutions in agriculture to invite the submission of write-ups for known existing solutions applicable to rural agriculture. These solutions should enable smallholder farmers to increase their production, incomes and generate employment for youth and women. The focus would be on solutions generated or piloted by the private sector for up scaling and adoption by smallholder farmers. The shortlisted solutions will be documented, packaged into knowledge products and promoted at global showcasing events for AGRA,...
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has organized the Digital Agriculture Transformation Seminar which will be held on the 12th and 13th of June, 2019. The theme of the seminar is 'The challenges to be addressed'. The two day seminar will focus on the transformational digital technologies such as smart phones, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud-based services, and smart and prediction technologies such as artificial technologies and interconnected data-driven systems such as blockchain technologies. The purpose of the seminar is to foster an exchange among stakeholders (policy-makers,...
