Supporting innovations in the food system in Rwanda is the goal of a UN-backed initiative launched in the capital, Kigali, on Wednesday.
The IGNITE Food Systems Challenge comes amid worsening food insecurity in East Africa due to rising conflict, climate change, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both technical support and a total of $300,000 in financing will be made available to help start-ups, cooperatives, and small and medium enterprises, to scale-up locally-driven solutions that contribute to the economy and address different gaps in supplying nutritious food.
The programme is an initiative by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Impact Hub Kigali, which offers resources that foster innovation and entrepreneurship, such as incubation programmes and bootcamps.
The partners are supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), specifically its Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The initiative will run simultaneously in Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda, and is being made possible with the support of $2 million from USAID.
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https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/01/1109182?utm_source=UN+News+-+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f754f5c8cf-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_01_06_01_35&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fdbf1af606-f754f5c8cf-107475426