Meet the 2024 WFF Transformative Research Challenge winners

The fourth edition of the World Food Forum (WFF) Transformative Research Challenge (TRC) was launched on 8 May 2024 during a WFF side event at the UN Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum in New York. The Challenge concluded at the WFF flagship event in October - held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy, where the finalist young researchers showcased their innovative proposals to a global audience.

The Transformative Research Challenge finals is available to view on the WFF website and on the WFF YouTube channel.

This year’s TRC, created in partnership with FAO divisions and global partners, featured six prize categories that spotlight promising, research-driven solutions for global agrifood systems transformation. The categories included:

• Gender Mainstreaming in the Eradication of the Peste de Petits Ruminants (PPR) (co-hosted with the FAO PPR Global Eradication Programme Secretariat)
• Global One Health (co-hosted with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and the FAO One Health and Disease Control Group (NSAH-CJW)
• The Role of Water in Agrifood Systems Transformation (co-hosted with EIT Food)
• Food Loss and Waste (co-hosted by the FAO Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) with the support of the Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF))
• Plant-Based Food (co-hosted with Meatless Monday)
• Plant Breeding and Nutrition (co-hosted with The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics)

This year's TRC received over 1 000 applications, with teams from all five FAO regions. The best 50 applications were paired with expert mentors to refine and develop their initial concepts into more detailed research proposals. Out of these research proposals, 24 finalists were chosen and invited to participate in a bootcamp on effective communication and public speaking, facilitated by Narratize. The finalists received funding to attend the WFF flagship event in Rome, where they pitched their research proposals to an esteemed panel of judges with the chance to win more than USD 200 000 worth of prizes and other forms of support.

The panel of judges included FAO's Chief Scientist ad interim, Beth Crawford; the Deputy Director of FAO's Investment Center, Nuno Santos; the Lead Livestock Specialist at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Anne Mottet; the Executive Director of the ETH Zurich World Food Systems Center and President of the Swiss National FAO Committee (CNS-FAO), Martijn Sonnevelt; and the Regional Director of Advance Consulting, Lamia Dabbas.

The Finalists of TRC 2024 were:

Global One Health Prize:

• Genomic Wastewater Surveillance for Avian and Human Influenza A virus by Kizito Bello, John Yayi, John Isah, Promise Balogun and Abdulmajeed Abdulhameed.
• Enhancing Surveillance and Control Strategies for Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in Rwanda by Mukeshimana Denyse, Byiringiro Frank and Mabano Tresor.
• Applying Community and Gender Inclusive One Health Approaches for Safer and More Sustainable Wild Meat Use in Lagos, Nigeria by Sherril Masudi, Samuel Akpan and Nicholas Ngwili.
• Farmers First Health Paradigm: One Health Centered Community Supported Agriculture by Amirreza (Abdolmotalleb) Rezaei, Saeedeh Azizi and Ehsan Gholifar.

Gender Mainstreaming in the Eradication of the PPR Prize:

• Exploring Participatory Approaches for Investigating the Occurrence and Transmission of PPR by Istahil Ahmed, Hibo Xasan, Amina Husein, Asma Bile, Ilhan Omar, Risma Rizkia Nurdianti and Istahil Ahmed.
• Role of Women: Integrated PPR Management Development by Achmad Fadillah and Syabilla Rivenia.
• The Role of Gender in PPR Eradication in Uganda by Pheonah Kebirungi, Babirye Priscilla, Hannington Juuko and Marvin Kalyango.

Plant-Based Food Prize:

• Sustainable Production of Plant Protein through Corn Cob Fermentation by Dickson Simali Oduory, Jonh Nduko and Linnet Mwangi.

Plant Breeding and Nutrition Prize:

• Exploring Crop Wild Relatives for Nurturing Shelf-Life and Nutritional Quality of Pearl Millet by Jagadeesh Kommineni, Sai Deekshith Kanakam and Shiva Kumar Reddy Mudedla.

The Role of Water in Agrifood Systems Transformation Prize:

• Drone Technology for Combatting Schistosomiasis in Malawi by Teresa Thornton, Victoria Sobot and Jackson Lawrence.
• Enhancing Resilience to Drought in Thai Agriculture: The Role of Biochar-Enhanced Organic Fertilizers in Water Resource Management by Suthasiny Sudprasert, Warapol Kasemsan and Pattamaphon Dumnui.
• Exploring Drought Coping Strategies in Urban Agriculture in Barcelona by Sergio Alejandro Urioste Daza, Mahdieh Khezrinejadgharaei, Yasmine Bedoui and Tianyu Zhang Jin.
• Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus: Groundwater Conservation and Solar Irrigation in India by Bhuvana Narayana Rao, Aditya Korekallu Srinivasa and Bhavya A. P.
• Project Parakramabahu: Digital Solutions for Tank Irrigation Restoration Projects in Sri Lanka by Sheriah Peries, Shihara Ferdinando and Thirandi De Silva.
• Erratic Rainfall Impact on Agrifood Systems in the Upper West Region of Ghana by Haruna Trumah, Abdul-Karim Ngoliba and Ousman Camara.
• Enhancing Policy Coherence in the Water-Food Nexus: Evaluating Strategies for Climate Resilience in Developing Asian Economies through Multilateral Finance by Lydia Dai, Beniamin Strzelecki, Megi Marku and Pan Ei Ei Phyoe.

Food Loss and Waste Prize:

• Opportunities and Constraints to Surplus Food Store Implementation by Alice Diana, Yara van Halteren and Abu Sayed.

And the winners of TRC 2024 were:

Global One Health Prize:

• One Health in Action: Mobile-App and Suitcase-Lab for RVF Prevention by Ahmed Abdulkadir Hassan-kadle, Marian Muse Osman, Arianna Ceruti, Omar Abshir Omar andAamir Muse Osman.

Gender Mainstreaming in the Eradication of the PPR Prize:

• Goat Rearing by Rural-Women: Constraints, Economics, and Way-Forward Highlighting PPRV by Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Prajwal Bhandari, Basant Saud, Mayisha Maliha Kona and Amina Khatun.

Plant-Based Food Prize:

• Mangrove Fruit Optimization for Sustainable Plant-Based Emergency Food Bars by Gusti Ayu Made Devta, Annisa Aurora Kartika and Pradipta Widyo Nugroho.

Plant Breeding and Nutrition Prize:

• WildCrossSorg: Harnessing Wild Sorghum Potential for Developing Fall Armyworm Resistant Cultivar by Sarvesh Prabhu, Rishita Ghosh and Harpuneet Singh.

Food Loss and Waste Prize:

• Documenting Indigenous Fermented Food in the Pearl River Basin of China to Reduce Food Loss and Waste by Zeyuan Wang, Mengyao Ma, Xiaohui Liu, Yihong Li and Ao Huang.

The Role of Water in Agrifood Systems Transformation Prize:

• Tackling Heavy Metals Water Contamination with Dead Bacteria, through Biodesign and Community Engagement for Safe Agriculture by Valentina Perez Escobar, Carolina Páez Vélez, Maria Valentina Forero Sierra, Maria Alejandra Parra García and Laura Camila Velasco Ortega.

The winners received a range of prizes including research grants of up to USD 10 000, consultancy opportunities, an award certificate, media promotion through WFF and partner channels, networking opportunities and more.