PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Fund for the Promotion of Innovation in Agriculture (i4Ag) identifies and promotes innovations in the agricultural and food sector. Since 2020, i4Ag has supported partners in more than 30 countries in developing innovative solutions addressing a variety of challenges for small-scale farmers and agri-based businesses, focussing on two categories:

- Technology, including mechanisation, digitalisation, renewable energies; and - Partnership and processes, including agricultural research, policy and trade, and cooperation with the private sector and international organisations.

Examplary innovations include: - Potato production with zero-tillage and rice straw mulch, - Satellite-based Soil Organic Carbon Monitoring, - Prevention/management of banana disease Foc TR4, - Digital climate advisory for small-scale farmers, - Digital crop forecasts for smallholder farms, - Improved services for site-adapted mechanization.

ICON supports the scaling process by assessing the economic viability of 12 selected i4Ag innovations, following a 2-step approach: 1) Economic Viability assessment, conducting a cost-benefit-analysis (CBA). 2) Evaluation of the Business Models regarding their sustainability in all three dimensions – economic, ecological and social.

The results will serve to better assess their scaling potential and relevance for the SCALE platform.

8810688