AI for Climate Resilience in Rural Areas

9 May 2024. IFAD-M4D Open Innovation Challenge Winners Session.

• Late in 2023, Moonshots for Development (M4D), a partnership among the innovation labs of international financial institutions, launched the AI for Climate Resilience in Rural AreasOpen Innovation Challenge, a joint effort to scout and scale AI-driven technologies that empower rural communities and help them adapt to climate change and build their resilience. 
• This initiative is sponsored by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform, Asian Development Bank (ADB), IDB Lab, World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, and World Bank Technology & Innovation Lab.
• It's a collective effort to identify and scale AI-driven technologies to empower rural communities and help them adapt to climate change and build their resilience. 

The call focused on three main areas: (i) agriculture, (ii) natural resource management, and (iii) disaster risk reduction. In addition to finding solutions to climate challenges in rural areas, the competition aimed to encourage a responsible and ethical use of AI and to foster co-financing and collaboration among investors, innovators, development practitioners, and rural people to nurture long-term climate resilience. 

Throughout the programme, 237 startups applied, and nine of them were selected to receive training and establish essential network connections to enhance the chances at scalability of their innovative projects.

1. Agpreneur and Farmer Lifeline Technologies were awarded IFAD funding of USD50,000, with tailored-made coaching sessions on lean innovation and behavioural design. Furthermore, CGIAR will match these two teams with CGIAR scientists for further technical support and an opportunity to receive $10,000 in equity-free grant funding.
2. Boomitra (India) will be receiving USD50,000 from ADB for piloting their proposed solution as part of ADB’s operations in the member countries. 
3. Viamo will be sponsored by the WFP Innovation Accelerator for participating in its SprintProgramme, and was awarded IFAD funding of USD50,000, plus access to the same personalized coaching programme that IFAD will be offering to Agpreneur and Farmer Lifeline Technologies.