.jpg)
Story by, Nsor Paul Mensah
In a significant step towards promoting sustainable agriculture in West Africa, the Innovate for Clean Agriculture Technology (INFoCAT) initiative has awarded 7400 USD funding to 10 young entrepreneurs in Ghana, with plans to support similar innovators in Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.
Spearheaded by the UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, INFoCAT aims to address the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs in transitioning their agricultural machine designs from the prototype stage to the market. With support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, the initiative is particularly focused on empowering women in the green technology and renewable energy sectors.
"We are providing some funding. So it's an Innovation Challenge, a Green Innovation Challenge that provide funding for some innovators to be able to design machines that are powered by renewable energy source that will help women remove dredger too much of work, and then too much of time they spend on very simple things that very simple machines can do," explained Dr. Ferdinand Tornyie, a researcher at the UNU Institute.
Dr. Ferdinand Tornyie explain that,the 10 Ghanaian innovators who received 7400 USD each, will now work on designing and piloting their green technologies, which must demonstrate the use of renewable energy, reduced emissions, and resource efficiency. The best technology in each country will be awarded an additional $34,000 USD to help the enterprise expand its business.
"By providing mechanizing their process, the agricultural value chain processes, so that they can make more more income to take care of their family, but to empower women, we also need to get mechanize their system, mechanizing their system," said Dr. Tornyie.
The INFoCAT initiative is part of a broader effort to empower African entrepreneurs to develop homegrown solutions to the continent's challenges, rather than relying on imported technologies. The project's focus on renewable energy-powered agricultural machines aligns with the global push for a green transition, making it a promising model for sustainable development in the region.
Erica Adwoa Appiah, a representative from Wobil Technologies, explained that the company initially learned about the INFoCAT program through their mailing list. After filling out a questionnaire, Wobil decided to apply and was accepted into the program.
"The orientation session was just amazing - the opportunities and resources available through INFoCAT are invaluable," said Appiah. "Beyond just the funding to build prototypes, we're gaining access to expertise and policy guidance that will help us with our transition plans."
Wobil's current machines are powered by diesel, but with the support of INFoCAT, the company aims to shift 70-96% of its equipment to run on solar energy. Appiah noted that this transition aligns with the company's broader goal of becoming more environmentally sustainable while also improving their business operations.
Looking beyond just energy, Wobil has identified a significant market opportunity in Ghana's smallholder farming sector. According to Appiah, there are around 800,000 smallholder farmers in the country, but less than 10% have access to irrigation channels and farming equipment.
"Our research has shown this huge unmet need, so we're planning to use the momentum from the INFoCAT program to expand our services to more communities across Ghana and even into other parts of Africa," Appiah explained. "We want to make our technology accessible to as many farmers as possible to boost agricultural productivity."
With the support of the INFoCAT program, Wobil Technologies is poised to drive positive change in Ghana's farming sector through its transition to clean energy and ambitious expansion plans.