AICCRA Ghana opens application for Accelerator Program for Agribusinesses

The Accelerating Impact of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project in Ghana has launched a call for applications for its new agribusiness Accelerator Program.

The program aims to leverage private sector networks to address development and business challenges related to scaling products and services that will improve farmers’ productivity and income. 

The call for application which commences on June 3 will run till August 31, 2024.

Under the program, AICCRA and partners will work with individual businesses or consortia of businesses to provide end-to-end solutions for the following Climate Information Services (CIS) and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) bundles:

Solar Irrigation for female farmers, which aims to Improve resilience, yields and income through the deployment of solar irrigation solutions and supporting adaption through sustainable finance solutions and market access;

Smart Seed Packs and Market Systems for Smallholder Farmers bundle, which aims to improve access to stress and pest-tolerant seed varieties and associated agronomic practices to improve farmers’ resilience, yields, and income;

Smart Productions and Soils bundle, which promote sustainable production and soil health by providing access to agro-advisories, sustainable mechanization technologies and nutrient management practices.  

Climate-Smart Integrated Pest Management bundle, which promotes sustainable management of invasive and climate-driven crop pests and diseases through the deployment of low-toxicity pesticides, biopesticides, biological control and good agroecological practices with plant health benefits;

Dr Faustina Obeng Adomaa, AICCRA’s Program Officer and Coordinator of the accelerator program, said it aims to boost private-sector participation in the Ghana’s climate-resilience efforts. 

“Supporting farmers to mitigate climate risks is critical to ensuring a resilient food system. Through this program, we are aiming to leverage on the strategic role of SMEs in the agriculture sector to deliver solutions that build climate resilience of farmers while being responsive to gender and other social vulnerabilities across the country, “she said.  

Businesses and social enterprises can apply to the program at: https://aiccra.cgiar.org/news/call-applications-ghana-accelerator-program 

 Info and matchmaking events will be held virtually on July 25 and in person on August 1 for applicants to interact with the program’s coordinators, learn more about the program, and explore potential partnerships with other applicants.

Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) helps deliver a climate-smart African future driven by science and innovation in agriculture. AICCRA works with national partners in Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia to make climate information services and climate-smart agriculture more accessible to millions of smallholder farmers across Africa. In Ghana, AICCRA is led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) a member of CGIAR. 

CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future dedicated to transforming food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.