The finals of the Global AgriInno Challenge 2026 concluded recently in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, east China. After more than a three-hour pitching session, Kenya's Digital Interconnected East African Agriculture project won the gold medal. Indonesia's Women Empowerment in Fisheries took silver, while Grenada's Climate-Smart Smallholder Incentives for the Caribbean earned bronze.

The contest gathered innovative business models and digital solutions to unlock agricultural innovation potential, advance agri-food system transformation, and deliver the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s vision of "Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life."

The participants included university students and early-career innovators running agricultural initiatives. While there were no age caps, many finalist teams were led by young talent under 30.

This year's edition put special focus on agri-food system transformation for small island developing states, launching a dedicated track alongside the global open track to address food security risks brought by climate change and geopolitical volatility. 

The contest drew 191 applications from 49 countries, with 13 projects selected for the final showcase.

The gold-winning Kenyan team built a digital micro-service ecosystem for smallholders. Integrating satellite remote sensing and ground soil sensors, the solution provides soil testing, compost training and carbon credit trading services. Over 2,000 farmers have benefited, seeing their incomes rise by 65 percent, and the team plans to expand the service across Kenya and Uganda in the next few months. 

Indonesia's silver-winning project empowers coastal women by converting discarded low-value fish into high-value food products, cutting marine waste while lifting local household incomes, and tackling child malnutrition.

Vincent Martin, a director of FAO's Office of Innovation, said the contest was far more than a competition. "It provides young agripreneurs with training, exposure, mentorship and access to funding networks. Partnerships like the one between FAO, Zhejiang University and PDD Holdings demonstrate how cross-sector collaboration can power youth-led agricultural innovation," he said.

Wei Longbao, a contest judge from Zhejiang University, said PDD Holdings's practice connecting scattered smallholder farmers to large consumer markets offers a valuable real-world reference. This year's contest placed strong emphasis on practicality and commercial viability, encouraging young people to stay and build careers in rural areas.

Hosted in Zhejiang for seven years, the Global AgriInno Challenge 2006 has received over 1,300 submissions from more than 100 countries across six continents. A new roundtable on agri-food innovation and investment was held this year, bridging innovators, investors and industry partners. 

Aligned with China's policy direction to nurture agripreneurs, the platform supports young agricultural innovators globally, sharing practical experience to strengthen the resilience of the world's food systems.

Jointly organized by FAO, Zhejiang University and PDD Holdings, the contest is supported by the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Hangzhou's Binjiang District Government.