The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Outbox Hub have announced the IGNITE Food Systems Challenge in Uganda, that will offer technical support and US$300,000 to entrepreneurs to foster locally-driven solutions to tackle food systems challenges
The IGNITE Food Systems Challenge is supported by USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, to assist start-ups in Uganda, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives to scale up their solutions, contributing to the economy while addressing gaps in the food system.
The programme seeks innovative solutions that contribute to food security through resilience to shocks and stress, access to safe and nutritious food, improved supply chains, the empowerment of smallholder farmers, and the advancement of food security for all.
The initiative comes at a time when the economic fallout from COVID-19 threatens Uganda’s development gains. The poverty rate for people employed in crop agriculture rose from 22 percent before the pandemic to 29 percent during the pandemic.
Agriculture is the backbone of Uganda’s economy, with 55 percent of women and over 80 percent of people without a formal education engaged in the sector. The country’s National Development Plan (NDP) highlights Uganda’s potential to become the food basket for the East African region and encourages the use of technology to increase productivity in the agricultural sector.
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Piloting, implementing, and scaling innovative ideas lies at the heart of WFP and Outbox Hub’s work. This programme will have an impact on promoting innovation in food systems and advancing efforts towards achieving zero hunger in the world. “The private sector is a vital partner in the quest to reach zero hunger by 2030,” said Marcus Prior, WFP Uganda Deputy Country Director. “Women and youth are at the heart of all our efforts to end hunger and we strongly encourage them to participate in this initiative.”
The IGNITE Food Systems Challenge is running simultaneously in Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda, and is possible with the support of US$2 million from USAID. “We are excited to collaborate with WFP to enable businesses to flourish while ensuring everyone in Uganda enjoys their right to food,” said Richard Zulu, the Executive Director of Outbox Hub. The winning ventures will receive funding of up to US$50,000 each as well as 6 months of acceleration support, including connections to experts and mentors.
The call for applications opens on 21 April 2022 and will close on 20 May 2022. Interested ventures are invited to apply online at: https://bit.ly/ignitefooduganda
