A Chance to Win $30,000 at the International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture

The Federal Government of Switzerland, with the technical support of FAO, is organizing the International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. 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.

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.

Award Categories:

The award is open to individuals, private companies, or institutions and comprises two categories: 

• Category A: awards excellence in digitization and innovation for sustainable food systems (USD 30,000).
• Category B: recognizes an innovation that empowers youth in sustainable food systems (USD 30,000).

Eligibility:

• Individuals, private companies, and institutions responsible for an innovation that has demonstrated particular efficiency and used novel tools, products, or services to enhance and promote sustainable food and agriculture are eligible to apply. 
• Both categories of the award consider innovations that have been successfully implemented and validated. 
• The Award is conferred for innovations implemented during the biennium preceding the current one. 
• In line with the requirements and technical competencies of the Federal Office of Agriculture of Switzerland, all innovations must apply to agriculture and pastoral systems only. 
• Application forms that are incomplete, do not comply with the terms and conditions specified, or are submitted beyond the deadline, according to the instructions provided, will not be considered. 
• No applicants under the age of 18 will be considered for the Award.

Evaluation Criteria:

Award specific criteria:

• Award for digitization and innovation for sustainable food systems (USD 30,000):

1. The innovation must impact more than one level of the supply chain from farmers to consumers.
2. The innovation must strengthen the link between farmers and consumers, e.g. through tracking sustainability features of traded food and agriculture products on labels.

• Award for innovations that empower youth in sustainable food systems (USD 30,000):

1. The innovation must strengthen the role of youth (under 35) in sustainable food systems. 

General criteria: 

• Quality and merit of the innovation.
• Potential benefit, impact, and sustainability.
• Scalability.
• Value for money.

About FAO:

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. They believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.

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