Shs107m up for grabs for best innovators in post-harvest technologies
James Shikwati (Director, IREN) explains a point to Mary Onsongo, Program Management Specialist, USAID (C) during the launch as Bridget Okumu, the Sector Specialist-Agriculture /Agribusiness, USAID Contractor listens. Courtesy photo
What you need to know:
- The top three contestants will split a seed fund of the $30,000 grant through a generous contribution of agribusiness corporation Syngenta and other partners.
- As part of the competition, innovators from the East African Community are required to pitch technologies that address challenges in the post-harvest management of food-crop commodities and enhance labour production.
The U.S. agency for International Development (USAID), has announced a $30,000 (about Shs107,550,000)inaugural grant to East Africa postharvest technologies competition aimed at developing technologies to reduce food waste in Africa.
According to a statement issued this morning, the competition organised jointly by the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN) and East Africa Trade Investment Hub is aimed at reducing food loss and improving nutrition and food security.
“The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that one third (1.3 billion metric tons) of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted along global supply chains,” the statement reads, adding that the loss accounts for a 15 percent income reduction for over 470 million participants in the agricultural value chain, including smallholder farmers, manufacturers and retailers.
As part of the competition, innovators from the East African Community are required to pitch technologies that address challenges in the post-harvest management of food-crop commodities and enhance labour production.
The competition will offer the top 25 participants an opportunity to showcase and pitch their ideas to potential partners, including development partners, donors, governments, farmer and trader associations, and investors and the competition will take place in May 2017 during a special session of the upcoming East Africa Postharvest Technologies Fair.
The top three contestants will split a seed fund of the $30,000 grant through a generous contribution of agribusiness corporation Syngenta and other partners.
“Finding innovative solutions to complex development challenges are paramount to USAID’s mission. The East Africa Post Harvest Technologies Competition 2017 supports locally driven solutions for greater East African food security,” Karen Freeman, the USAID Mission Director for Kenya and East Africa is quoted to have said.
The competition is open to innovators, researchers and individuals aged 18 and above from the Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi and the successful applicants will receive accelerated training on how to package and pitch their ideas to investors, which will expand the opportunity to scale-up and disseminate their technologies to a wider market.
“We are very delighted to host this exciting new competition and would like to invite all post-harvest technology innovators from all East African countries to enter this game-changing competition,” said James Shikwati, Chief Executive Officer, IREN.
