Welcome to Water and Energy for Food

Welcome to the Water and Energy for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development (WE4F). As a second-generation Grand Challenge, the WE4F team will build on the work done by Securing Water for Food (SWFF) and Powering Agriculture (PAEGC) to support more innovations and have a greater impact on agricultural water and energy use. Over the next four years, our newsletter will share innovator stories, lessons learned, and upcoming events to bring subscribers the latest news on the water-energy-food nexus. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more information.

WE4F Asia EDGE Eg-Energy Prize Winners Announcement

On June 19th, at the Virtual Asia Clean Energy Forum, USAID announced the winners of the WE4F Asia EDGE Ag-Energy Prize! The winners are: ATEC* Biodigesters, RecyGlo, Gham Power, Claro Energy, Agrosolar. The prize includes financial and technical assistance which will help these innovative businesses expand their operations and impact their customer communities.

SWFF Final Report

Securing Water for Food exceeded all expectations - the program helped over 7 million farmers grow more than 6.8 million tons of food and reduce their water consumption by 19 billion liters. Check out the final report to learn more about the program's outcomes, read the latest innovator updates, and explore the program's final lessons learned.

COVID-19 Resources Page

COVID-19 transformed the way everyone - from businesses to non-profits - operates. To help subscribers navigate the new normal, WE4F created a COVID-19 resources page. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for funding or a practitioner researching the best ways to conduct surveys, there are resources available to help you adapt.

PAEGC Final Evaluation

Powering Agriculture worked tirelessly to meet its goals. Read the final evaluation to learn about the clean energy solutions it supported and their contributions to increased agricultural outputs and incomes as well as emissions and poverty.

WE4F Hubs

If you followed PAEGC's work, you're familiar with the idea of a regional innovation hub that works with local innovators. WE4F has adapted the same model for our program and launched hubs in the following regions: East Africa , Middle East and North Africa, West Africa , and South and Southeast Asia. In the coming months, there will be calls for innovations released so make sure to stay subscribed to the WE4F newsletter to be the first ones to know!

Webinar: The Potential of Agri-PV in Africa

WE4F East Africa Hub Manager, Lucie Pluschke, recently participated in a panel on the potential of using solar power for agriculture and lessons learned from other regions. A collaboration between SolarPower Europe and GET.invest, the webinar was recorded and available for public viewing.

WE4F Investment Maps

WE4F is about helping innovators scale into thriving, sustainable enterprises that can last without subsidies. Our investment maps will help WE4F hubs develop better support for innovators AND can help investors, entrepreneurs, and business service companies know where challenges lay in their pathway to developing viable businesses.