AgriFood Africa Connect Innovation Awards
The AgriFood Africa Innovation Awards provide funding to UK research organisations to collaborate with an African organisation to address AgriFood challenges in Africa. The awards are part of AgriFood Africa Connect, which brings innovative people and organisations across the UK and Africa together to solve key AgriFood challenges across the continent.
We have awarded a total of £480,000 across 12 projects since 2019.
The Innovation Awards aim to tackle a problem relevant to the African partner and address AgriFood challenges in Africa. All the projects have the potential to positively impact on poverty through the uptake of agricultural and food systems technology and innovation.
Ultimately, these awards aim to lead to a longer-term relationship between the partners and follow-on projects.
We have awarded projects that address a variety of Agrifood and nutrition challenges in Africa, across a range of technology areas, market sectors and territories.
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Funded projects
Crops
Assessing tomato germplasm for climate-resilient, broad-spectrum parasite resistance
→ Queen’s University Belfast, University of Ghana, West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI) (Ghana)
Hybrid-energy based irrigation system for Africa
→ Aston University, Marsa Motor Co. Ltd (Sudan)
Soil and crop improvement technologies for cowpea production in Zimbabwe
→ Durham University, Verager Ltd (Zimbabwe)
Climate-smart agriculture in Africa feasibility testing a knowledge-based assessment tool
→ The James Hutton Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (Kenya)
Green Gold-Blue Water managing drought risks in avocado expansion in Africa
→ Cranfield University, Westfalia Fruit (South Africa)
Improving teff agronomic performance to ensure food security in Ethiopia
→ National Institute of Agricultural Botany, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (Ethiopia)
Triple bottom line sustainability analysis of Circular Economy in Ghana’s Agri-Food Value Chain
→ University of Sheffield Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre (AREC), Food Research Institute (Ghana)
Food
Upgrading the flatbed dryer with a solar-powered system for African smallholders
→ University of Greenwich, Intermech Engineering Ltd (Tanzania)
CassavaBags for improved gari making efficiency (CB4G)
→ University of Greenwich, Centre for Food Technology and Research (Nigeria)
Livestock
Pyrolysis of poultry waste for energy and nutrient recovery for sustainable farming
→ Anglia Ruskin University, Change Partners International (Nigeria)
Aquaculture and Fisheries
Needs assessment for developing capacity for improved Aquatic Resource Development in Africa (NACARDA)
→ University of Stirling, Machakos University (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique)
Women’s cooperative marketing of value-added mangrove oyster products in Sierra Leone (TRUST)
→ University of Stirling, Sherbro Women’s Oyster Marketing Association (Sierra Leone)