Powering Agriculture: 2015 innovators announced

''Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development” (PAEGC) is a joint global initiative involving the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation (SIDA), the Overseas Private Investment Cooperation (OPIC), Duke Energy and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – whose contribution is being implemented by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit”. These organisations are helping to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy solutions that will enhance agricultural yields and productivity, decrease post-harvest loss, improve farmer and agribusiness income generating opportunities and revenues, and/or increase energy efficiency and associated savings within the operations of farms and agribusinesses. All this is meant to be accomplished while stimulating low carbon economic growth within the agriculture sector of developing countries.

This year, 13 innovators have been rewarded for their achievements. These innovators seek to implement ground-breaking technologies and business models within the energy and agriculture nexus for emerging markets and developing countries where many farmers and agribusinesses lack access to reliable, affordable and clean energy services.

More than half of 13 innovators are organisations from developing or emerging countries. With five projects to be implemented in Kenya, three in Tanzania, and two in Uganda, the focal region of operation will be in East Africa. Most innovators work with solar powered energy solutions (70%).

Some quick facts about the 2015 Innovators:

• The organisations are based in nine countries: 39 per cent Africa, 23 per cent North America, 15 per cent Asia, 15 per cent Europe/Eurasia, 8 per cent Latin America
• Clean energy type: 69 per cent Solar, 15 per cent Hybrid, 8 per cent Biomass, 8 per cent Waste
• Focus on agriculture value chain: of which 39 per cent is staple crops, 38 per cent horticulture, 15 per cent aquaculture, 8 per cent dairy
• Regions of implementation: 61 per cent Africa, 17 per cent Asia, 9 per cent Middle East, 9 per cent Oceania, 4 per cent Latin America
• Funding type requested: 62 per cent applied under Funding Window 1 on the design of their clean energy solution, while 38 per cent applied under Funding Window 2 to scale-up their clean energy solutions

The complete list of innovators

Contact:   Monika Grossmann           Laura Jakobeit 

More Information:

Powering Agriculture – An Energy Grand Challenge (PAEGC) 
GIZ programme “Powering Agriculture – Sustainable Energy for Food”

(GIZ/wi)