The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Smart Africa Secretariat have launched the third edition of the Innovate Africa Challenge, inviting African agritech innovators to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that improve climate-smart agriculture and strengthen food security across the continent.
The 2026 challenge offers US$50,000 in funding to support the deployment and validation of a proven AI-driven agricultural solution capable of delivering measurable benefits to farmers. Rather than rewarding early-stage concepts, this year’s programme focuses on scaling technologies that are ready for real-world implementation.
Under the theme “From Ideation to Deployment,” the initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of practical AI applications that can improve agricultural productivity, strengthen climate resilience and support sustainable food systems.
The challenge targets innovations at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3 to 6, ranging from pre-seed startups to Series A companies. Eligible applicants must be legally registered startups with at least two team members based in Smart Africa member states.
Successful solutions will be deployed in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda, working alongside governments and agricultural stakeholders to demonstrate practical impact.
Priority will be given to AI technologies that address key agricultural challenges, including precision agriculture, crop yield forecasting, pest and disease detection, climate risk modelling and water resource management.
Organisers emphasise that selected technologies must function effectively in low-connectivity rural environments, integrate with existing national agricultural information systems and provide practical recommendations that farmers can easily apply.
The initiative comes as African agriculture faces growing challenges from climate change, declining natural resources, food insecurity and limited access to timely agricultural information. Smallholder farmers, who produce much of the continent’s food, continue to face low digital adoption, skills shortages and restricted access to advanced farming technologies.
The challenge also places strong emphasis on inclusivity, prioritising scalable solutions that directly benefit smallholder farmers, women and young people, while complying with responsible AI principles covering transparency, data privacy and fairness.
By supporting technologies that are ready for deployment rather than remaining in pilot stages, FAO and Smart Africa aim to accelerate the adoption of digital agriculture across Africa and help build more resilient, productive and sustainable farming systems.