Apply now for the 2026 Innovation Award
Selection and Eligibility Criteria
At its Forty-second session, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Conference decided to establish a “FAO Award for Innovation” to recognise ground-breaking innovation in areas under FAO’s mandate, open to a broad spectrum of awardees including Members and non-state partners.
Agricultural innovation is the process whereby individuals or organizations bring new or existing products, processes or ways of organization into use for the first time in a specific context in order to increase effectiveness, competitiveness, resilience to shocks or environmental sustainability and thereby contribute to food security and nutrition, economic development or sustainable natural resource management.
Innovation consists of doing something new and different, whether solving an old problem in a new way, addressing a new problem with a proven solution, or bringing a new solution to a new problem.
Nature of the Award
- a scroll describing the recipient's achievements and/or award,
- a cash prize of USD 10 000
The FAO Award for Innovation will be conferred for ground-breaking innovation in areas under FAO’s mandate to a broad spectrum of awardees, including Members, institutions, individuals, international/regional organizations, academic or research entities, civil society organizations private sector entities. The Award will recognise, but not be limited to, all types of innovations in agrifood systems, technological (including digital and biotechnological innovations) as well as social, financial, policy, and institutional innovations. It will also cover sustainable production practices such as agroecology, new approaches, new business models, etc. The innovations may fall under various categories including technological, institutional, social, policy, and financial innovations.
Award specific criteria:
- Demonstrate impact on more than one level of the supply chain, from small-scale agricultural producers (e.g. farmers, herders, fishers) to consumers.
- Strengthen the link between small-scale producers and consumers through innovative mechanisms such as innovative institutional arrangements, policy and financial mechanisms, social processes, innovative technological solutions including digital tools, innovation hubs, platforms connecting producers and consumers, innovative ways of access to markets and consumers etc.,) with due consideration to environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainability.
General criteria:
- Quality and merit of the innovation
- Potential benefit, impact and sustainability
- Accessibility and affordability of the innovation
- Scalability
- Value for money
- Role of youth (under 35), and/or women, and/or marginalized groups
The procedures and general guidelines to be followed are set out below:
Submission of Nominations
Proposals for nominations presented by national, regional or global institutions should be submitted to FAO Representatives (in countries with an accredited FAO Representative) or to FAO Regional and Subregional Representatives (in countries with no accredited FAO Representative), as appropriate, for onward submission to the Awards Secretariat by 15 February 2026.
If the nomination form is submitted by an individual or institution it must be accompanied by an endorsement or letter of support from an FAO Representative at the country or subregional level, or from a Director (by email or signed letter). Applications lacking such endorsement will not be considered valid. All endorsements and letters of support will be subject to verification
The Office of Innovation (OIN) will provide the FAO Awards Secretariat with the necessary technical support, particularly regarding the technical review and eligibility of each nomination including standard due diligence of the nominees if the entities are non-state actors, involving other streams and technical units as appropriate.
An ad hoc interdepartmental Screening Committee chaired by the FAO Director of Cabinet and comprising the FAO Core Leadership Team, Assistant Directors-General at headquarters and at regional level, the Director of the Office of Innovation, and the Director of the Office of Communications, as Secretary, will review the list of nominations submitted by the Awards Secretariat, and establish a short-list of nominations. The Chairperson of the Screening Committee will submit the short-list of three institutions to the Chairperson of the Selection Committee.
The Award is conferred for innovative activities and programmes with remarkable achievements during the biennium preceding the current one. The Award will be presented by the Director-General to the individual or representative of the recipient institution during a special ceremony at the 181st Session of the FAO Council to be held in December 2026.
The individual or representative of the selected institution will be invited to FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, for the ceremony, the cost of travel being borne by the Organization.
Nomination Form
PLEASE SUBMIT by 1 March 2024 at 23.59 CET
Please note: