For more information, please refer to the Call for Applications.
About the programme
The global challenge of hunger and malnutrition is felt most acutely in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAs), where over 1.5 billion people face unprecedented threats to food security and livelihoods. CGIAR, in partnership with the World Food Progamme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, launched the "Stability-and-Peace Accelerator Programme" to seek and scale high-impact innovations that bolster food, land, and water systems (FLWS) in these vulnerable regions.
We called on innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers to come forward with groundbreaking solutions that can drive resilience, ensure food and nutrition security, enhance climate adaptability and promote social cohesion and sustainability among communities battered by conflict and fragility.
The WFP Innovation Accelerator and CGIAR is supporting four innovation teams through a comprehensive programme designed to accelerate the development of promising solutions and prepare them for scaling. Alongside financial, technical and business support, this includes the provision of scientific advisory, aimed to improve the innovator’s ability to create life-changing sustainability impact.
These innovative solutions are not only innovative but also sustainable and scalable, with the potential to create lasting positive change in some of the world’s most challenging environments. They help end hunger, reinforce communities against unexpected disruptions, ensure consistent access to nutritious food, foster inclusive economic opportunities, engage youth and enhance the resilience of food systems amidst the challenges of climate change.
Selected innovations
Four ventures were selected to participate in a six-month sprint programme with CGIAR and the WFP Innovation Accelerator.
Aquaporo
AquaPoro is a state-of-the-art residential and commercial appliance that provides clean, drinkable water for domestic household, office, school, clinic and community center use. It is designed to provide water directly from the air regardless of the region, climate or environment that it operates within.
Conflict Forecast
Conflict Forecast helps decision-makers visualize conflict events by integrating multiple conflict datasets with socio-economic, population density, critical infrastructure and services data at the subnational level. Using a methodology that combines machine learning (panel forecasting) and natural language processing, Conflict Forecast predicts armed conflict and disruptive events like protests and riots.
iPlant
iPlant is developing the Green Spin, an innovative rotating vertical farming system designed for both indoor and outdoor use. This technology leverages a rotating mechanism to ensure all plants receive optimal sunlight throughout the day, significantly enhancing growth and reducing the need for artificial lighting indoors. The Greenspin Unit is perfect for urban settings such as rooftops, commercial scale up and community spaces, providing a sustainable solution for fresh, locally grown produce.
Koolhome Solar Freezer
The Koolhome Solar Freezer harnesses the power of sunlight and water in the form of ice battery technology to provide 24-hour cooling for up to four days. It features IoT for predictive maintenance, ensuring reliability and reducing breakdowns. The lease-to-own model with pay-as-you-go (PAYG) technology makes the innovation affordable for low-income users.
What we offer
This collaboration between CGIAR & the WFP Innovation Accelerator, specifically through the CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration, marks a significant union of efforts. The WFP Innovation Accelerator, with its track record of organizing 55 innovation bootcamps, supporting over 487 teams and field testing more than 100 solutions, has positively impacted 37 million people in 2022 alone. Merging this with CGIAR's dedicated research agenda, which aims to deliver science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis, our collaboration will enhance climate resilience, gender equity and social inclusion. Together, we aim to address the complex challenges associated with the climate crisis aiming to provide sustainable solutions for the most vulnerable populations.
What we offer to boost innovations:
- Six-month Sprint acceleration programme combining business-oriented training, mentoring, and science-based technical assistance from the WFP Innovation Accelerator
- Access to the research network of CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded research-for-development organization
- In-country strategy workshop to kick off implementation
- US$30,000 equity-free grant for each of the winning innovations with a proven sustainable business model and scaling plan
- Exposure to national and international funders
- Post-acceleration support
What we looked for
For this Innovation Challenge, CGIAR and the WFP Innovation Accelerator sought both low and high-tech solutions specifically tailored to meet the distinct challenges present in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings (FCAs) specifically in Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria and Yemen. We also encouraged strong “wildcard” entries. We aimed to identify and support exceptional innovations from around the world that hold the potential to address these challenges on a significant scale. WFP’s and CGIAR’s current innovation priorities per country are listed below:
Jordan
Water and resilience in refugee and host communities
Examples may include water purification systems for refugee and remote communities, irrigation systems, soil health monitoring technology, urban agriculture, or vertical farming that enhance water access and resilience.
Kenya
Digital solutions for climate security and migration
Examples may include forecasting for environmental disasters, conflict prediction and mitigation technology, communication resources for refugees or mapping technology to identify displacement patterns.
Nigeria
Resilient food systems and nutrition
Examples may include cold-storge solutions to prevent post-harvest loss, food fortification, mobile platforms for smallholder farmers, agricultural technology for resource management or technologies that increase shelf life.
Further information
- Refer to the full criteria in the Call for Applications.
- For more information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions.