CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/130468

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AgriTech4Kenya Innovation Challenge 2024: Bootcamp report
(Report, 2024-11-25) Menza, Gianpiero; Khader, Taija; Wafullah, Nekesah
The AgriTech4Kenya Innovation Challenge Bootcamp, held from November 25 to 29 2024 at the Brackenhurst Conference and Retreat Centre in Limuru, brought together 25 innovative early-stage projects representing diverse regions and priorities within the Agri-Tech sector. Over the course of four days, these innovators engaged with partners, explored Kenya’s Agri-Tech ecosystem, and refined their solutions through workshops, expert masterclasses, farm visit, and one-on-one mentoring sessions. The AgriTech4Kenya Innovation Challenge is powered by CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and co-organized with the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy Initiative and CGIAR Initiative on Nature-Positive Solutions and funded by the Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale. The initiative is implemented in partnership with Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust (MESPT), Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), AGRA, Agriculture Sector Network (ASNET), Daystar University, iTATU Mercy Corps, DOB Equity, Climate Resilient Africa Fund, Sustainable Agriculture Foundation (SAF)
CircularEconomy4Colombia: Bootcamp Report: Innovation Challenge 2024
(Report, 2025-02-05) Menza, Gianpiero; Khader, Taija
In the context of CGIAR Research Initiative Nature-Positive Solutions, the CircularEconomy4Colombia Innovation Challenge is powered by the CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) and co-organized with CGIAR Centers – the Alliance Bioversity International-CIAT and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) – in partnership with EAN University, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the Green Business Office of Colombia's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Minambiente). The CircularEconomy4Colombia Innovation Challenge is an initiative aimed supporting Colombia’s transition to a circular economy within the agri-food sector. The challenge seeks to boost and scale up high-impact, science-backed, context-specific solutions that enhance resource efficiency, reduce waste and deforestation, and promote sustainable development in Colombia. As part of this challenge, 21 selected teams had the opportunity to join a fully funded 3-day in-person bootcamp on 9-11 October, 2024, at the Alliance Bioversity and CIAT Palmira Campus in Colombia. During this time the innovators were provided with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to advance their innovative solutions. The CircularEconomy4Colombia bootcamp is specifically designed for the Colombian context and focuses on solutions with real impact potential. Its importance lies in giving entrepreneurs a relevant exposure to the Colombian market and ecosystem, preparing them to create connections and define strategies that allow them to have profitable and sustainable businesses.
Ensuring the phytosanitary quality of beans, tropical forages and cassava collections in the “future seeds” genebank: reference strain bank
(Poster, 2024-07-05) Ramirez Pretelt, Julio Cesar; Niño Jimenez, Diana Patricia; Muñoz Molina, Christian David; Dorado Escobar, Edwin Fabian; Cuervo Ibanez, Maritza; Vélez-Rojas, Katalina
The Germplasm Health Unit of the Bioversity International Alliance and CIAT (GHU-CIAT) ensures that the germplasm of beans, cassava and tropical forages conserved and distributed nationally and internationally by the Germplasm Genebank, and breeding programs are free of quarantine risk pests and diseases. As part of routine activities, GHU-CIAT detects the presence of phytopathogenic fungi using morphological and molecular techniques. In order to ensure the quality and traceability of the results, the GHU-CIAT has created a reference strains bank with those quarantine fungi that can historically be detected in the germplasm evaluated under laboratory conditions. Initially, fungal isolates were identified and characterized morphologically by using conventional taxonomic keys, including photographs of macro and micro morphological features. Additionally, a protocol for DNA extraction was standardized and using Oxford Nanopore Technology, isolates were sequenced and molecularly characterized. Using this methodology, 40 isolates were obtained corresponding to the following genera: Colletotrichum sp., Phoma sp., Alternaria, Curvularia sp., Bipolaris sp., Pestalotiopsis sp., and Fusarium sp. Finally, the morphologically and molecularly characterized strains were conserved under controlled temperature and luminosity conditions. Having this kind of reference strain ensures the quality of the results obtained in the diagnosis of phytopathogenic fungi and works as a quality control mechanism which to evidence and demonstrate the accuracy in the identification and detection of quarantine fungi. This study strengthens the traceability for the validation of the diagnostic method and additionally provides information about the genetic variability of the different species detected. Keywords: Reference strain, Quarantine, Sequencing, Traceability.
Farming, food, and empowerment: The journey of Malawi’s homes industries
(Blog Post, 2024-11-04) Chideya, Yohane; Munthali, Justice; Birachi, Eliud; Rubyogo, Jean Claude
In 2016, Victoria Mwafulirwa took her first steps into Malawi's small scale agrifood processing landscape. Her venture, Homes Industries, began almost by accident in the northern district of Karonga. After a lucrative catering contract with a local company ended, Mwafulirwa shifted her focus to producing groundnut flour, seizing a market opportunity that has since blossomed into a beacon of hope for thousands of smallholder farmers across Malawi's Karonga, Chitipa, and Nkhata Bay districts.
The state of the agri-, food-, and climate-tech innovation ecosystem in Egypt
(Report, 2024-10-21) Vitón, Roberto; Al-saffar, Reem; Menza, Gianpiero; Zaccari, Claudia; Dowling, Kevin
The agriculture sector in Egypt is vital to sustaining Egyptian livelihoods and economic development. A thriving agri-, food-, and climate-tech environment, catalyzed by cutting-edge technology and context-oriented innovations is crucial to this development to ensure the resilience of its agrifood systems in the face of climate change, climate extremes, and a dwindling freshwater supply. Agriculture utilizes the greatest share of Egypt’s freshwater resources, primarily sourced from the Nile. This reliance, coupled with Egypt’s high evaporation rates, underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions. Over the last decade, Egypt’s agri-, food-, and climate-tech sector has grown, driven by digitalization and supported by various stakeholders. With close to a hundred startups therein, the sector attracts youth, creates jobs, and supports economic development. However, achieving a sustainable future requires adopting science-based solutions, many of which remain stacked at the concept stage, never to be deployed in the market. Therefore, it is the role and responsibility of players within the agricultural research and technology sector to bridge this gap and speed up the translation of innovative ideas into actionable solutions through market mechanisms that guarantee the viability of these solutions. We must ensure that all key actors are onboard if we are to realize this vision. This report serves as a valuable resource for understanding the critical components of the Egyptian agri-, food-, and climate-tech ecosystem and its enablers and drivers. The conclusions and recommendations arising from this report combine an understanding of policy implications, sustainable business models and vital solution areas relevant to the Egyptian context, providing insights applicable to policymakers, investors, researchers, and other stakeholders operating in the Egyptian agriculture sector. Although this innovation ecosystem has progressed in recent years, it is still largely in its early stages. This report highlights a possible path for addressing key challenges and creating the conditions needed for agri-, food-, and climate-tech innovation to flourish. We at the CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform hope that this resource will prove a practical tool for guiding stakeholders in fostering a robust and sustainable innovation ecosystem in Egypt.
Strengthening multilateralism, climate action, and sustainable food systems through agricultural technology transfer
(Brief, 2024-09-01) Steele, Megan; Menza, Gianpiero; Dowling, Kevin; Akinbo, Olalekan; Seke, Lukovi; Trento do Nascimento, Daniel
Research and development are engines of economic growth in the current environment of Industry 4.0. As such, the effective use and commercialization of intellectual assets can fuel value creation while addressing complex societal, national, and regional challenges. Fostering technology transfer is crucial to ensure that regions most vulnerable to climate change are equipped with the capacity to develop and gain access to agricultural technologies that empower climate action and sustainable food systems. The journey from innovation to impact, especially in the Global South, is often hindered by a critical bottleneck—inadequate technology transfer mechanisms. G20 countries must urgently forge multilateral initiatives that: i) incentivize innovation and technology transfer through market pull approaches, aligning innovation with market demands, thereby accelerating the journey from lab to market; and ii) incentivize localized innovation and technology transfer in a globalized system, advocating for solutions rooted in the needs of specific geographic and cultural contexts. G20 countries should lead international cooperation and partnerships ensuring equitable access to innovations and technologies. The recommendations align with the priorities of the Brazil G20 Presidency by linking climate action, the green transition, and innovation and technology to trilateral cooperation.
Launch event of the AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge
(Video, 2024-04-03) Zaccari, Claudia; Al-saffar, Reem Hazim Khalis; Menza, Gianpiero
The AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge is powered by CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) and co-organized with CGIAR Centers–The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, ICARDA, IWMI, and IFPRI–and the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) of Egypt. This project is endorsed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt (MOHESR) and supported by PRIMA, Climate Resilient Africa Fund (CRAF), ALEX BANK, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), and CGIAR Initiatives and units operating in the MENA region. The Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) is the venture space that leverages CGIAR’s legacy in research and innovation to co-design, accelerate, and de-risk the development and deployment of science-based solutions for sustainable agriculture and climate action. A4IP entrepreneurs pioneer models to bridge research products from lab to market, create demand for CGIAR science, and strengthen its role in the innovation ecosystem. The initiative plays a catalytic role for entrepreneurial scientists, startups, and other strategic partners driving innovation that will make our agri-food systems healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable. A4IP is an initiative powered by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT; a CGIAR research center. Learn more: a4ip.cgiar.org
AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge 2024
(Website, 2024-03-27) CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform
AgriTech4Uzbekistan Innovation Challenge: Demo Day
(Video, 2024-05-03) CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform
The AgriTech4Uzbekistan Innovation Challenge is powered by the CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform and co-designed with CGIAR centers ICARDA, IWMI, and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. The project is implemented in collaboration with Hackonnect, IT Park, innoWIUT Entrepreneur’s Lab of Westminster International University in Tashkent, the United Nations Development Programme Uzbekistan, FAO, the Agency of Innovative Development under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan through the AKIS Center, Indorama, the Uzbekistan Venture Capital Association, the Tashkent State Agrarian University, and the International Agriculture University. This project, organized as part of the CGIAR Research Integrated Initiative, Fragility to Resilience in Central and West Asia and North Africa (F2R-CWANA), aims to scout, accelerate, and fund science-based agri-food and climate-tech innovations (i.e., products, services, technologies) that can make agriculture in Uzbekistan sustainable, more efficient, and resilient to climate change while contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals. The Demo Day event marks the culmination of a one-year project made up of business mentorship, technical assistance from CGIAR scientists, and networking opportunities. Rewatch the recording to learn from the 10 agri-tech innovation teams - Amudario Research LLC, Dehkanbaba, GeoAgro-Dehqon, GET Robotics, Growz, IWATER, mistEO, Piatrika Biosystems, WeavAir, ZeroEarthCompany, from 5 countries - Uzbekistan, India, Tanzania, Poland, and Egypt - pitch their solutions to the Selection Committee, industry experts, and investors, to secure funding that will enable them to introduce their products to the Uzbek market.
Highlights: Consultation Workshop: Agri-tech Innovation Ecosystem in Egypt
(Video, 2024-03-12) Zaccari, Claudia; Al-saffar, Reem Hazim Khalis; Menza, Gianpiero
Consultation Workshop: Deep diving into the agri-tech innovation ecosystem in Egypt
(Video, 2024-02-12) CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform
On 7 February 2024 at the InterContinental Cairo Semiramis, CGIAR Centers – Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, ICARDA, IWMI, IFPRI, and supported by the CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) – in collaboration with the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology of Egypt (ASRT) and under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt (MOHESR) hosted the "Consultation Workshop: Deep Diving into the Agri-tech Innovation Ecosystem in Egypt". Organized as part of CGIAR Regional Integrated Initiative Fragility to Resilience in Central and West Asia and North Africa (F2R-CWANA), this workshop convened 80 experts in agriculture and innovation for a multistakeholder dialogue about creating a conducive environment for testing, validating, and deploying agritech solutions to enhance the sustainability, resilience, and efficiency of agriculture in Egypt, all while boosting business competitiveness, attracting foreign investments, and empowering young talent. The feedback collected will support the design of the AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge, to be launched in March 2024.
Ask me anything session, AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge - 8 April 2024
(Video, 2024-04-08) Zaccari, Claudia; Menza, Gianpiero; Al-saffar, Reem
AgriTech4Egypt innovation challenge: Call for Applications now open
(Press Item, 2024-04-08) Zaccari, Claudia; Al-saffar, Reem
Presentation Slides - Demo Day, AgriTech4Uzbekistan Innovation Challenge
(Presentation, 2024-05-03) Zaccari, Claudia
AgriTech4Kenya innovation challenge 2024: Consultation workshop report
(Report, 2024-05-17) CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform
The AgriTech4Kenya Innovation Challenge 2024 is driving Kenya’s agrifood systems transformation by facilitating the development, deployment, adoption, and scaling of high-impact science-based agritech solutions tailored to the needs of the nation’s smallholder farmers and value chain stakeholders. The project’s Consultation Workshop held in Nairobi in April 2024 catalyzed dialogue among key players from within Kenya’s agri-food sector, including government officials, academicians, researchers, incubators, accelerators, venture funds, startups, and farmers. The workshop served as a strategic platform for refining the thematic focus of the upcoming AgriTech4Kenya Innovation Challenge 2024, creating space to collate and integrate diverse stakeholder perspectives on the most pressing challenges, needs and opportunities facing Kenya's agricultural landscape. This participatory approach ensured that the innovation challenge would catalyse actionable solutions aligned with the priorities and aspirations of Kenyan farmers and value chain actors. The workshop resulted in the formulation of six priority areas affecting food security and climate resilience in Kenya, which will ultimately shape the overall scope of the AgriTech4Kenya Innovation Challenge 2024.
Harnessing digital innovations for climate action and market access: Opportunities and constraints in the CWANA region
(Journal Article, 2024-06-01) Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul; Salama, Yousra; Abay, Kibrom A.; Abdelaziz, Fatma; Zaccari, Claudia; Akramkhanov, Akmal; Menza, Gianpiero; Anarbekov, Oyture
There is growing optimism about the potential of digital innovations to support climate action and transform agricultural markets. We review and characterize the landscape of digital innovations in the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region. We highlight major success stories associated with the potential of digital innovations to facilitate rural market transformation and support climate action, including adaptation and mitigation. Our desk and landscape review identifies various digital innovations used in Egypt, Morocco, and Uzbekistan. We then create a typology of digital innovations based on seven broad service categorizations: weather and climate; agricultural finance; energy and early warning systems; data and crowdsourcing; market information and market place; extension and advisory information; and supply chain coordination. Three technical and validation workshops supplement this review. Our review shows that digital innovations have the potential to build resilience to climate change and increase market access, but their adoption remains low and varying across contexts. Significant heterogeneity and differences exist across these countries, possibly due to different institutional and regulatory frameworks that guide demand and capacity. We identify several supply and demand-side constraints facing the digital ecosystem in the region. There is the existence of a significant digital divide fueled by gender, literacy gaps, and related socioeconomic and psychosocial constraints. A seeming disconnect also exists between pilots and scale-ups, as most existing digital applications are unsuccessful in expanding beyond the pilot phase.
Creating an enabling environment for developing and deploying market-ready science-based innovations for sustainable food systems
(Report, 2024-04) Adeniyi, Daniel; Rampa, Francesco; Menza, Gianpiero
Food-system innovations can play a crucial role in meeting increasing food demands, minimising supply-chain disruptions, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. They can also significantly contribute to economic growth and development. However, many of these innovations face scaling challenges, and therefore often remain suspended in their pre-commercialisation phase. This study explores the challenges and opportunities associated with developing market-ready Research and Innovation (R&I) for food systems, with a particular focus on Africa. The study reviewed relevant literature and conducted a range of stakeholder interviews. The food-systems innovation ecosystem is characterised by a misalignment between innovative solutions and the dynamic market demands and preferences. Extended development timelines, gaps in capacity-to-adopt and infrastructure, corporate concentration, and regulatory intricacies all contribute to slower and more limited scalability compared to other sectors. The diverse conditions in different agricultural settings and limited co-creation, coordination, cooperation, technology transfer, and financing add complexity to the scaling-up process. The paper outlines seven conditions to propel market-ready R&I to transform food systems. These include: i) embedding innovation in local contexts and bundling innovations; ii) providing support for incubators and creative agrifood-tech start-ups; iii) deploying more comprehensive, robust, and institutionalised technological transfer mechanisms; iv) offering more and ‘patient’ capital for the ‘last-mile’, including for coordinating across relevant actors and institutions; v) facilitating improved multi-actor dialogues and collaborations; vi) ensuring greater state roles in innovation and enabling national regulations and policies; and vii) fostering enhanced international cooperation on food systems R&I.
Towards a common vision for climate change, security and migration in the Mediterranean
(Report, 2024-04) Mastrorillo, Marina; Scartozzi, Cesare Marco; Pacillo, Grazia; Menza, Gianpiero; Desai, Bina; Maviza, Gracsious; Jaskolski, Martina; Schapendonk, Frans; Meddings, George; Carneiro, Bia; Craparo, Alessandro; Minoarivelo, Henintsoa Onivola; Taiwo, Ibukun; Prati, Giorgia; del Pino Álvarez, Inmaculada; Almotaz, Abadi; de Dinechin, Frederic
Increasing evidence indicates that climate change is likely to amplify risks and insecurities, leading to increased fragility and conflict (IPCC, 2022). Climate change can exacerbate food insecurity and fosters climate-induced mobility, thereby straining socio-economic systems and increasing the potential for disputes over dwindling natural resources. At the same time, conflict and fragility have proven to impede efforts to enhance climate resilience and adaptive capacity, leaving populations more vulnerable to climate impacts and exacerbating food insecurity (Scartozzi, 2020). The Mediterranean is one of the most vulnerable areas to climate risks. The region is exposed to recurrent droughts, heat waves and other slow-onset climate events, which are leading to soil degradation and water shortages. Moreover, the region already accommodates half of the global populace grappling with water scarcity—a situation projected to further deteriorate due to climate change (ARLEM, 2021). Scientists warn that absent robust measures to manage and mitigate climate change, its adverse impact could overwhelm the adaptive capacity of the Mediterranean countries, weakening institutions and potentially exacerbating conflicts over natural resources (Scheffran, 2020). Currently the agricultural output in the Mediterranean is declining due to climate change, unsustainable agricultural practices, and water scarcity. These issues, combined with the region's growing population, pose significant challenges to sustaining living standards and development opportunities. Furthermore, food security is threatened by unsustainable human activities, such as deforestation, excessive water use in irrigation, and overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These actions, compounded by climate change impacts, exacerbate the region's growing demand for food, which in turn heightens its reliance on imports, making it increasingly susceptible to international price fluctuations. Climate change, socio-economic insecurity and political instability are pushing countries to critical levels of fragility. In the most affected regions, these factors are fostering grievances that can result in forms of organized violence and conflict. While the food-land-water nexus represents a potential intersection where to mitigate these tensions, conflict, poverty, and a lack of opportunities for youth—exacerbated by environmental and climate change—compel migration within and across regions, which often occurs through unsafe channels, including the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, the challenge is intensified by the lack of cohesive long-term governance and a common vision among agricultural resource management authorities and policy actors, leading to disparate efforts in addressing these issues (ARLEM, 2021). Improving people’s resilience in the region strongly depends on the ability to enhance the regional adaptive capacity to climate risks. The way governments and communities manage resources and food systems is a determinant factor in whether the Mediterranean area can endure development and peace. With no peace, there is no space for development. With no development, economic opportunities and food security, peace cannot last. This white paper is the result of a high-level discussion carried out at the event “Towards a Common Vision of the Climate, Migration and Security Nexus in the Mediterranean Region,” organized by the CGIAR Focus Climate Security and the Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT, and held in Rome in June 2023. The discussion collected opinions of scientists, politicians, experts and representatives of relevant international organizations on the climate-security-mobility nexus in the Mediterranean. The purpose of the discussion was to analyze current and foreseen vulnerabilities, risks and hazards affecting livelihoods in the region, and identify potential solutions and integrated approaches to increasing climate adaptation capacities, reducing involuntary and unsafe migration, and sustaining peace and stability.
AgriTech4Morocco innovation challenge, acceleration program and demo day report
(Report, 2022-10-31) Menza, Gianpiero; Zaccari, Claudia
CGIAR collaborates with the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology to host the “Consultation workshop: Deep diving into the Agritech Innovation Ecosystem in Egypt”
(News Item, 2024-02-14) Menza, Gianpiero; Zaccari, Claudia; Al-saffar, Reem Hazim Khalis
On 7 February 2024 at the InterContinental Cairo Semiramis, CGIAR Centers – Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, ICARDA, IWMI, IFPRI, and supported by the CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) – in collaboration with the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology of Egypt (ASRT) and under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt (MOHESR) hosted the "Consultation Workshop: Deep Diving into the Agri-tech Innovation Ecosystem in Egypt". Organized as part of CGIAR Regional Integrated Initiative Fragility to Resilience in Central and West Asia and North Africa (F2R-CWANA), this workshop convened 80 experts in agriculture and innovation for a multistakeholder dialogue about creating a conducive environment for testing, validating, and deploying agritech solutions to enhance the sustainability, resilience, and efficiency of agriculture in Egypt, all while boosting business competitiveness, attracting foreign investments, and empowering young talent. The feedback collected will support the design of the AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge, to be launched in March 2024.

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