WFP Innovation Accelerator

🚀 Innovating to end hunger in Africa! 🚀 Meet the nine finalists of the second edition of the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation who are enhancing food security and food systems resilience across the continent with technology-powered solutions and approaches. Representing 11 different African countries, these innovations are driving positive change across the continent. 🥗 Read more at the link in the comments! 🔗🔗 Bundeskanzleramt Österreich Austrian Development Agency Kofi Annan Foundation

⭐️ Meet Suzana Maranhão Moreno, Blockchain Technology Strategy Manager at the WFP Innovation Accelerator! ⭐️ Before joining the team, Suzana led global standardization efforts for #blockchain at the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and co-founded the Blockchain Innovation Lab during her tenure at the Brazilian Development Bank. With degrees in computer science, business, and economics, Suzana is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Geneva, focusing on decentralized #FinancialInclusion and #compliance. Her expertise and dedication play a crucial role in supporting blockchain innovations at the WFP Innovation Accelerator. #SaturdaySpotlight

MEET US AT THE GREENTECH FESTIVAL 🌱 💡 New solutions targeting the #ClimateEmergency and its impacts on global #hunger are essential. Four innovations from the WFP Innovation Accelerator's #climate-focused portfolio will be presenting their solutions at the @Greentech Festival in Berlin next week: 🍳 Emerging Cooking Solutions: Scaling up #CleanCooking in Zambia by switching households from charcoal to biomass pellets 🐛 #Rebug2Debug: Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae in Rwanda to convert waste into high-quality #fertilizer and animal feed. 🌱 Soilwatch: Leveraging #EarthObservation and #AI to provide crucial environmental impact assessments. 🌾 Desert Control: Introducing Liquid Natural Clay in arid regions to reduce water usage and increase crop yields. Read more about the innovations: ⤵️: https://lnkd.in/dSbHkGh5 See you in Berlin!

Everyone knows how much we love bringing innovators, public and private sector partners in the same room ✨ And this time, this room was in United Nations HQ #NewYork ⭐️ ⚡️Yesterday, we had the privilege of co-hosting an official United Nations #STI Forum side event alongside the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Luxembourg and Austrian Development Agency. We were joined by: - Olivier Maes, Ambassador, #Luxembourg - Stefan Pretterhofer, Deputy Permanent Representative, #Austria - Diamane Diome, Deputy Permanent Representative, #Senegal in conversation with - Nwumfor Chunga, Chief Strategist, BleagLee - Natalie Grover, Managing Director, Data-Pop Alliance - Paolo Campanella; CTO WASDI Michelle Joseph, Paul Skoczylas and Jose Alcocer from World Food Programme Check out some moments captured during the event, and dive deeper into the discussions by clicking the link in the comments ⤵️ #UN #Innovation #Collaboration #STIForum

When we talk about combating hunger and ensuring sustainable development, it's not just about providing food it's also about enabling individuals and communities to make choices that lead to long-term resilience and prosperity. That's where cash-based transfers come into play. In 2023, our innovative solutions improving cash-based transfer processes reached 23,913,884 individuals, revolutionizing the design and delivery of cash and value vouchers worldwide. Meet some of our innovations in cash-based transfers: 🔌 plugPAY, a digital payment solution that has transformed the process of cash-based transfers, scaling up to 67,000 payments per month and dispersing over US$7 million to those in need. In 2023, plugPAY was rolled out in Zambia and Sri Lanka's WFP Country Offices and tested in Nepal and Bangladesh. 💳 Payment Instrument Tracking, a solution that enables us to track the entire distribution process of cards and food by ensuring transparency and verifying recipients' identities, enhancing accountability and efficiency. Learn more about cash-based transfer innovations like plugPAY and Payment Instrument Tracking in our 2023 Year in Review: bit.ly/WFPIA-YiR2023 Cheryl Harrison Francesca de Ceglie Nafisha Pradhan Tanya Jansz Farhana Shahnaz Mathews Mutale Gabrielle Menezes

In this video, Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the WFP Innovation Accelerator, highlights our role as a global leader among social impact accelerators. 🚀 We support innovative and technological solutions that make a positive social impact in the world's most vulnerable countries. Discover how we are scaling innovative solutions driven by #data, #technology, and #artificialintelligence, such as Optimus, Boomitra, AHEAD, and ShareTheMeal in collaboration with World Food Programme programme units, country offices, and partners. 💡

🌍 Did you know that heightened #climate risk and fragility threaten to reverse major #development gains in today's world? From #climatechange to rapid population growth, the stakes are high. But there's hope! Communities can build resilience with the right support. In 2023, the WFP Innovation Accelerator supported several innovations strengthening resilience and sustainable livelihoods, enabling communities to build resilience and reaching 641,324 individuals. Here are three inspiring innovations that made a difference: 🛍 Clean Cooking: World Food Programme #Haiti's solution saved up to 70% of #energy needs in school canteens through heat retention bags, promoting #sustainability and efficiency. 🥦 R4 Initiative: The Rural Resilience Initiative bolstered food security and #financial resilience for smallholder farmers by integrating #climate risk management strategies. 🌞 Armenia Project: This initiative introduced an asset-backed loan model for agro-businesses in #Armenia, enabling #solar station installation and reducing food production costs. Learn more about WFP’s supported innovations working to build resilience and #sustainable #livelihoods - click the link in the comments ⤵️

🌱 100 percent locally-rooted solutions 👩🔬 66 percent women-led ventures 🌍 Applications from 49 of 54 African countries 😮 832 total applications Learn what made this possible for the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa - link in the comments ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ Stay tuned to meet our finalists next week! Kofi Annan Foundation Bundeskanzleramt Österreich Austrian Development Agency

🚨 The #ClimateEmergency is a #HungerEmergency 🚨 🌎 At the 'World Food Programme’s Climate x Hunger Pitch Slam' event at the GREENTECH FESTIVAL in Berlin next week, four innovators from the WFP Innovation Accelerator's portfolio will showcase how their #innovations are tackling hunger and the climate crisis! Meet the innovators ⤵️: https://lnkd.in/dSbHkGh5 Emerging Cooking Solutions Gabriel Mumba, FIoDZ #Rebug2Debug Soilwatch Joona Mikkola Desert Control Jan Vader Chileshe Chilambwe Aristide Gatera

Meet Kitchen in a Box 📦 Led by World Food Programme El Salvador and supported by WFP Engineering, Kitchen in a Box transforms shipping containers into smart, sustainable school kitchens to provide students with fresh, nutritious school meals. 🥣 🥣 During WFP Innovation Day, members of the project team expressed the value of cross-collaborating with WFP units, government partners, the private sector and the local community to bring the solution to life.