The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Smart Africa Secretariat, has launched the third edition of the Innovate Africa Challenge, an initiative designed to accelerate the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that improve climate-smart agriculture across Africa.

Under the theme “From Ideation to Deployment,” the 2026 challenge shifts its focus from recognising innovative concepts to supporting proven AI technologies that are ready for large-scale implementation. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between successful pilot projects and widespread adoption, helping farmers benefit from practical digital solutions that improve productivity and resilience.

Driving AI Adoption in African Agriculture

The Innovate Africa Challenge seeks to identify AI-powered technologies capable of addressing some of the continent’s most pressing agricultural challenges, including climate change, food insecurity, declining natural resources and limited access to agricultural information.

While many digital agriculture innovations have demonstrated strong potential during pilot projects, few have progressed to full-scale deployment. FAO and Smart Africa hope the latest challenge will change this by supporting technologies that have already demonstrated their effectiveness and are ready for implementation.

The selected solution will be deployed in collaboration with national governments, FAO country offices and agricultural stakeholders to ensure it delivers measurable benefits for farmers.

Addressing Climate and Food Security Challenges

African agriculture continues to face increasing pressure from unpredictable weather patterns, recurring droughts, shrinking natural resources and rising food insecurity.

The organisers also highlighted challenges such as fragmented agricultural data systems, low digital adoption among farmers, limited access to extension services and unequal access to technology for women, youth and smallholder farmers.

By promoting practical AI applications, the initiative aims to strengthen climate resilience while improving agricultural productivity and decision-making across the continent.

Focus Areas for Innovation

The 2026 challenge is seeking solutions in several priority areas that can support sustainable agricultural development.

These include precision agriculture, crop yield forecasting, pest and disease surveillance, climate risk modelling, adaptive decision-support systems and water and natural resource management.

Successful technologies must integrate with national agricultural information systems, digital extension platforms and government programmes while remaining accessible in low-connectivity environments commonly found in rural Africa.

The solutions are also expected to provide clear, practical recommendations that farmers, extension officers and policymakers can use to improve agricultural outcomes.

Five Countries Selected for Deployment

The winning AI solution will be implemented in five Smart Africa member states:

• Rwanda
• Kenya
• Ghana
• Malawi
• Uganda

Deployment will take place through partnerships involving national ministries responsible for agriculture, information and communication technology, innovation, and FAO country offices.

Eligibility and Responsible AI Requirements

The challenge is open to legally registered startups and organisations with demonstrated experience in developing AI technologies.

Applicants must have a minimum two-person team and present solutions that have already been tested through pilots, customer deployments or other validated use cases. Eligible startups should fall within Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3 to 6 and have funding ranging from pre-seed to Series A.

Preference will be given to organisations already operating within Smart Africa member states, particularly those serving smallholder farmers, women and young people or collaborating with government agencies, research institutions and agricultural extension services.

Participants must also demonstrate responsible AI practices by ensuring transparency, minimising bias, protecting farmer data privacy and complying with data governance requirements throughout implementation.

Accelerating Digital Agriculture Across Africa

Previous editions of the Innovate Africa Challenge attracted innovators from more than 40 African countries and supported the deployment of AI-powered weather stations that improved access to climate information for farmers.

Building on those achievements, the 2026 programme aims to move beyond experimentation by scaling technologies that deliver measurable improvements in agricultural productivity, climate resilience and food security.

By connecting innovators with governments and development partners, FAO and Smart Africa hope to accelerate the adoption of practical AI solutions capable of transforming agriculture and strengthening food systems across the continent.