The AgriNation Startup Cup is here!
Orange Corners Erbil launches the AgriNation Startup Cup in Iraq.
Orange Corners Erbil is partnering with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Industry Disruptors Game Changers (IDGC) / Future Agro Challenge, and Berytech, to launch the AgriNation Startup Cup in Iraq.
The AgriNation Start-up Cup is a regional start-up competition that supports youth-led early-stage start-ups addressing key agri-food challenges and has the potential to help transform local and national agri-food systems to be more sustainable, equitable, nutritious, and resilient.
The initiative strives to foster innovation, decent employment, and youth inclusion in agri-food systems by helping innovative solution-oriented enterprises, led by youth, to achieve market and investment readiness. It also aims to strengthen national entrepreneurial ecosystems in the field of agri-food.
Orange Corners Erbil is bringing the AgriNation Start-up Cup to Iraq, to help young Iraqi entrepreneurs make the most of this opportunity to upgrade their skills and establish a successful business. Orange Corners Erbil is also working with local partners and ecosystem actors to create an environment that nurtures and incentivizes social innovation in the agri-food sectors.
Agriculture and food systems come under intense pressure over the decade due to a growing demand for food coupled with declining agricultural productivity caused by climate change, natural resource degradation, and rising prices of fertilizers, seeds, and prices. The economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the Ukraine-Russia war have further complicated the situation, making food imports more expensive and leading to rising food insecurity as well as poverty among small producers and agriculture-dependent households.
The AgriNation Start-up Cup is showing how, through innovation and entrepreneurship, young people in Iraq and across the region are finding ways to produce more food with fewer resources; capture more value locally through downstream agri-food products and services; and promote more healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable consumption. All while safeguarding the livelihoods of small producers, including women and vulnerable groups, and creating more decent jobs in rural areas.
Young men and women, 35 years and below, with early-stage startups in the field of agri-food and rural development, can participate through the platform https://agrination.io/. Enterprises are evaluated on the basis of business model viability, innovation, social impact, and environmental sustainability.
The 10 winning start-ups will benefit from a customized incubation and mentoring program including support for product testing and market research as well as linkages to new market opportunities, partnerships, and funding sources.
To learn more about the competition and apply here: https://agrination.io/
Deadline for applications: August 27, 2022