This competition will identify innovations in the resilient agricultural practices

19^th March, Mozambique (Maputo) - The Ministry of Science and Technology, Higher, Technical and Professional Education launched on Monday the National Innovation Contest for Community Development. This is an initiative supported by FAO and aimed at identifying innovative solutions in the process of production, processing and conservation of horticultural crops.

For this first edition, the area of agriculture was chosen, with a particular focus on vegetables, which represent an important food base of the populations and source of income for small farmers. The contest aims at identifying innovations in the resilient agricultural practices that are adaptable to the risks related to climate and natural disasters and that contribute to sustainable production and productivity.

The competition is sponsored by the Center for Research and Technology Transfer for Community Development in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with the support of other relevant partners.

Pedro Simpson Jr., the Technical Advisor and Coordinator of an FAO project on Climate Change Adaptation, funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF),., highlighted that "it is through a coordinated work of this kind that the country can face the challenges to have an agriculture more adapted to the climate change effects, remembering that the role of technological innovation for agriculture is and should always remain constant in order to make agriculture more sustainable from the social, environmental and economic points of view and thus, guarantee food and nutritional security."

During his speech, the Minister of Science, Technology and Technical, Professional and Higher Education, Jorge Olívio Penicela Nhambiu, stated that "current reality shows that vegetable production is affected by significant post-harvest losses, due to challenges related to transport system and techniques commonly used for the conservation and processing of crops. This is the reason why this first edition of the contest proposes to promote innovations for the vegetable production chain, which will contribute to improve produvtion techniques and use of various horticultural crops within communities, "he said.

At the end of the competition, innovations that present originality, technical and financial viability, adaptability to climate change, sustainability and impact on community life will be rewarded, and all participants will become part of the National Network of Technologies and Innovation Database (available at http://www.rnti.org.mz).

This initiative directly contributes to the operationalization of Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 13, namely: Ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition, promoting sustainable agriculture and taking urgent measures to combat the effects of climate change and its impacts.

Applications will be submitted to the District Education, Youth and Technology Services; Provincial Directorates of Science and Technology, Higher Education and Professional Technician and Center for Research and Transfer of Technologies for Community Development.