Introduction

Innovation is changing the way food is produced, processed, traded and consumed and building more resilient and robust food systems. Both digital technologies and innovative practices for growing food have the potential to transform food systems, providing smallholder farmers with a better future, making farming more sustainable and ultimately closing the digital gap between developed and developing countries.

Overview

Since 2018, FAO and the Federal Government of Switzerland encourage innovation by publically recognizing best practices through the International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. The award does not only acknowledge digital innovation, but also new or existing products or practices that are used in a specific context, to increase effectiveness, competitiveness and resilience.
Imaflora Brazil receives the Innovation Award at FAO headquarters for linking indigenous groups to markets.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture is awarded for its youth agribusiness incubation programme in 6 African countries.
Practical Action in Bangladesh is awarded for empowering landless or marginalized farmers through ‘sandbar cropping’.
Celebrating innovation at the FAO Awards Ceremony, FAO headquarters, 2019.
The innovation award is divided in two categories:
Category A;
USD 30,000 is awarded for excellence in digitization and innovation for sustainable food systems.
Category B;
USD 30,000 recognizes an innovation that specifically empowers youth in sustainable food systems.

Criteria for assessment;
All applications will be judged according to:
1. quality and merit of the innovation;
2. potential benefit, impact and sustainability;
3. scalability;
4. value for money.
CATEGORY A Applicants;
Applicants need to clearly indicate how the innovation impacts more than one level of the supply chain from farmers to consumers. Applicants should demonstrate how the innovation strengthens the link between farmers and consumers, e.g. through tracking sustainability features of traded food and agriculture products on labels.
CATEGORY B Applicants;
Applicants need to show how the innovation strengthens the role of youth (under 35) in sustainable food systems.

The call is now open!

APPLY NOW
Whether you are an individual, private company or institution with an innovation that is already in action and has demonstrated concrete results, we want to hear from you. Read here about how to submit your application before the deadline on 19 March 2021.
Join the conversation on our social media with the hashtag; #AgInnovation

Please note that; The awards are limited to innovations related to agriculture and pastoral systems only in accordance with the technical competencies of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture.
More details And Application Here

CCN

Kehinde Abiola have been a certified Google digital marketer, a pro blogger and a KICK-ASS Freelance Wizard for years. He’s on a mission to help individual make sustainable income doing legitimate works online and business owner improve their profit making. He’s the publisher and team lead at CCN. He’s the author of different training material at notable places including CCN. He’s the Web manager [Adim] and content producer at SOJWORLDNEWS to mention a few.