Welcome to “Innovation Rooted in Humanity”, an exploration of how the World Food Programme (WFP) is reimagining what is possible in the fight against hunger. This exhibition takes you through eight stations, each highlighting a different way WFP, together with partners, is turning bold solutions into practical, life-changing innovations.
At WFP, we put people first. Every innovation begins with one question: How can we do better, for more people, with less? This question drives our commitment to human-centred progress, where breakthroughs are not invented in isolation but co-created with local communities and partners.
Our approach delivers impact at scale, from emergency response and supply chain efficiencies to conflict forecasting, post-harvest loss solutions, school meals and digital finance.
This exhibition spotlights how we build collectively, with purpose, with humanity and driven by evidence and impact. You will encounter a powerful mix of portraits of the people we serve and WFP colleagues, and stories capturing the lived experiences and ingenuity behind each solution.
Innovated rooted in humanity
Made possible by innovation
You will encounter a powerful mix of field portraits and WFP staff stories, capturing the lived experiences and ingenuity behind each breakthrough. Along the way, you will see how themes like gender equity, climate resilience and innovative finance are woven throughout our work, as essential ingredients for lasting impact, reminding us that real change happens when we work collaboratively.
This exhibition spotlights how we build collectively, with purpose, with compassion, with humanity and with impact.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our donors and supporters, without whom none of this would be possible. Your partnership fuels solutions, action, and the hope that drives innovation forward.
This exhibition spotlights how we build collectively, with purpose, with compassion, with humanity and with impact.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our donors and supporters, without whom none of this would be possible. Your partnership fuels solutions, action, and the hope that drives innovation forward.
Emergencies
Rescue Card
A prepaid, reloadable card linked to WFP’s digital wallet, delivering rapid assistance to marginalized groups within 72 hours - no bank or ID required.
Context: Adriana Nohemí López Orozco, programme assistant at WFP Guatemala, drives secure and efficient cash assistance through digital innovation. She manages participant validation, data systems and tools that boost financial inclusion and protect identities. Adriana helps tailor transfers to community needs and is directly involved in Rescue Card’s rollout.
Challenge: Adriana’s work is especially critical in crisis settings. WFP needed a fast, reliable way to deliver assistance to rural communities hit by floods and droughts - where banking systems often fail - and to support returning migrants, many of whom lack formal identification.
Solution: Rescue Card is a prepaid, reloadable card linked to WFP’s digital wallet, delivering fast, secure cash to disaster-hit areas. By working within regulatory channels to overcome banking barriers, Rescue Card ensured Guatemala’s at-risk communities could meet basic food needs, and can do the same for vulnerable populations wherever crisis strikes.
IMPACT:
Operational costs cut by 70 percent
USD 751,000 saved in Latin America and the Caribbean
88,000+ people reached as of 2025
Challenge: Adriana’s work is especially critical in crisis settings. WFP needed a fast, reliable way to deliver assistance to rural communities hit by floods and droughts - where banking systems often fail - and to support returning migrants, many of whom lack formal identification.
Solution: Rescue Card is a prepaid, reloadable card linked to WFP’s digital wallet, delivering fast, secure cash to disaster-hit areas. By working within regulatory channels to overcome banking barriers, Rescue Card ensured Guatemala’s at-risk communities could meet basic food needs, and can do the same for vulnerable populations wherever crisis strikes.
IMPACT:
Operational costs cut by 70 percent
USD 751,000 saved in Latin America and the Caribbean
88,000+ people reached as of 2025
Emergencies
Lives worth saving
At the World Food Programme, we put people first. Every innovation begins with one question: How can we do more, for more people, with less? This question drives our commitment to human-centered progress, where breakthroughs are not invented in isolation but co-created with the very people they are meant to support, people in need, field staff and local changemakers.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Emergencies
Lives worth saving
At the World Food Programme, we put people first. Every innovation begins with one question: How can we do more, for more people, with less? This question drives our commitment to human-centered progress, where breakthroughs are not invented in isolation but co-created with the very people they are meant to support, people in need, field staff and local changemakers.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Emergencies
Lives worth saving
At the World Food Programme, we put people first. Every innovation begins with one question: How can we do more, for more people, with less? This question drives our commitment to human-centered progress, where breakthroughs are not invented in isolation but co-created with the very people they are meant to support, people in need, field staff and local changemakers.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Emergencies
Lives worth saving
At the World Food Programme, we put people first. Every innovation begins with one question: How can we do more, for more people, with less? This question drives our commitment to human-centered progress, where breakthroughs are not invented in isolation but co-created with the very people they are meant to support, people in need, field staff and local changemakers.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Emergencies
Lives worth saving
At the World Food Programme, we put people first. Every innovation begins with one question: How can we do more, for more people, with less? This question drives our commitment to human-centered progress, where breakthroughs are not invented in isolation but co-created with the very people they are meant to support, people in need, field staff and local changemakers.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Emergencies
Lives worth saving
At the World Food Programme, we put people first. Every innovation begins with one question: How can we do more, for more people, with less? This question drives our commitment to human-centered progress, where breakthroughs are not invented in isolation but co-created with the very people they are meant to support, people in need, field staff and local changemakers.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Emergencies
Lives worth saving
At the World Food Programme, we put people first. Every innovation begins with one question: How can we do more, for more people, with less? This question drives our commitment to human-centered progress, where breakthroughs are not invented in isolation but co-created with the very people they are meant to support, people in need, field staff and local changemakers.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Our approach delivers impact at scale. By developing smarter tools and practical solutions, we reach more people, more effectively, and more quickly, whether through digital cash systems that restore choice and autonomy, solar-powered cold storage that protects essential food and vaccines, or farmer-informed apps that help predict rainfall and plan harvests.
Innovation, for us, is a quiet force for good. It brings hope: not through grand gestures, but through meaningful change rooted in empathy and guided by dignity. The best ideas often arise from the communities we work with, grounded in local knowledge and designed to meet real needs. And when these solutions work, they don’t just transform a single village or camp. They ripple outward, creating global impact.
This is innovation rooted in humanity, for purpose, compassion and a better future for all.
Innovation has always been at the heart of WFP’s mission
From pioneering the first humanitarian airdrops in the 1960s to reaching people cut off by conflict or disaster, WFP has consistently found new ways to deliver food, hope and resilience to those who need it most. Each decade has brought new challenges - and new solutions.
Driven by the people we serve, WFP innovates every day.
Through technology, innovative finance and partnerships, we are showing how a more efficient and agile United Nations (UN) can deliver real impact. Humanitarian action can be faster, smarter and closer to the people we serve.
A new era of innovation begins.
With the launch of the WFP Innovation Accelerator in 2015, WFP embraced a Silicon Valley–style approach to harness bold solutions and cutting-edge technology in the fight against hunger. Today, the WFP Innovation Accelerator is one of the largest global platforms for impact-driven innovation, connecting innovators and WFP teams to co-create and scale solutions to address zero hunger.
Collaboration across the UN system.
WFP is a founding member of the UN Innovation Network, established in 2016. The UN Innovation Network is a system-wide community that fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange and joint experimentation across UN agencies to accelerate innovative solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Building on this spirit of collaboration, WFP co-leads SDGx Acceleration, an initiative of the WFP Innovation Accelerator that unites UN entities, governments, and partners to scale breakthrough innovations for the SDGs - accelerating collective impact through shared capabilities, financing, and innovation ecosystems.
Building on this spirit of collaboration, WFP co-leads SDGx Acceleration, an initiative of the WFP Innovation Accelerator that unites UN entities, governments, and partners to scale breakthrough innovations for the SDGs - accelerating collective impact through shared capabilities, financing, and innovation ecosystems.
Innovation powered by our field presence.
WFP country offices are the engines of innovation, supported by a growing network of regional innovation offices and the WFP Innovation Accelerator. From Kenya to Colombia, innovation offices and units are testing, scaling and localizing new solutions.
Innovation across WFP operations.
Today, innovation is embedded throughout WFP’s work. The Business Innovation and Change Unit, established in 2015, helps offices worldwide tackle operational challenges through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building.
As the host of the UN Advisory Alliance since 2020, WFP also supports over 15 UN entities in transforming strategy into action - driving efficiency, simplification and tangible results.
As the host of the UN Advisory Alliance since 2020, WFP also supports over 15 UN entities in transforming strategy into action - driving efficiency, simplification and tangible results.
Looking ahead,
Looking ahead, with the launch of its Innovation Strategy, WFP is charting a new chapter, embedding innovation as both a mindset and a practice across the organization. This roadmap will accelerate transformation and scale WFP’s impact worldwide.
West and Central Africa
In West and Central Africa, WFP is soon launching a new Innovation Hub, adding to the two existing hubs already in operation. Through this expansion, we are unlocking local talent and partnerships to develop solutions rooted in regional strengths and realities.
From airdrops to artificial intelligence (AI)
WFP’s innovation journey is, above all, a story of people. Of those we serve, those who partner with us and those within WFP who are reimagining what humanitarian action can achieve. WFP continues to innovate for one purpose: to build a world without hunger