Integrating agroecological approaches into agricultural advisory services is the topic of the Innovations Challenge 2021 – conducted by GIZ.
Photo: ©iStock.com/subman

Innovation Challenge 2021- Advisory for Agroecology

“Integrating agroecological approaches into agricultural advisory services” is the title of the Innovation Challenge 2021, conducted by the global project “Agricultural Policy and Innovation Fund (FABI)” of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The Innovation Challenge 2021 aims to identify and promote new and innovative concepts, ideas, and tools in agricultural advisory that have the potential to spread agroecological approaches widely.

Background
 

Achieving a world without hunger by 2030 requires targeted support to make agricultural production more resilient and more sustainable for millions of smallholder farmers in the Global South. Agroecological farm- and crop-management approaches have been proven to provide a wide range of both ecological and economic long-term benefits for smallholder livelihoods. 

However, their adoption and use by smallholder farmers require intensive training, participation and co-creation of knowledge through involvement of various actors. Consequently, they have often been unsuccessful in reaching farming communities at a larger scale.

Special focus on women


Women play a key role in promoting agroecological change. However, they are often neglected by input focused, top-down and male-dominated agricultural advisory services. Advances in the digitalisation of agriculture bring new opportunities for sharing complex and context-specific knowledge and for making agricultural advisory services more participatory and integrative. This becomes especially relevant in challenging times, as in the current Corona pandemic, when agricultural advisory services have limited opportunities to reach out physically to smallholder farmers.

What we offer:
 

Against this background, GIZ’s Innovation Challenge 2021 aims to support Innovation Partnerships with awards of up to 150,000 Euros to be used for testing and validating new innovative concepts and ideas that integrate agroecological approaches into agricultural advisory services.

Who is eligible?
 

The Innovation Challenge is open to consortia of public, private and non-profit organizations with long-term experiences in agricultural extension and advisory (including universities, research institutions, NGOs, farmers associations, public and private extension and advisory services, start-ups, and SMEs). Consortia must be represented by an international institution as the main applicant. A strong private-partner involvement and engagement is a further prerequisite.

Selection process
 

Pre-selected consortia will have the opportunity to present their proposal and innovative ideas in the form of 15-minute online pitches to the selection jury. The six top-ranked consortia will be awarded 50,000 Euros for a five-month period to refine and further develop the initial concept (proof of concept). Out of the six consortia, the three consortia with the most promising concepts will be finally awarded additional 100.000 Euros for a one-year Innovation Partnership. For Innovation Partnerships that prove to be particularly successful there will be an opportunity to receive additional funding in the future.

How to apply?


Applications can be submitted as .pdf-file via Email to innovationchallenge2021@giz.de at the latest by 31 May 2021 using the Application Form.  

All applications must adhere to the Conditions for Participation. 

Only applications which include all requested information and a letter of intent by all consortium members will be considered for evaluation.

The Innovation Challenge 2021 will be conducted in English.

Further information/Application Form/Conditions of Application  

(giz/WoH/wi)
 

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