The Fortify Forward Innovation Challenge 2024-2025 (FFIC) was a transformative regional competition designed to help combat hidden hunger and tackle malnutrition in all its forms, while improving public health in Africa.
In search of innovative solutions for large-scale industrial food fortification (LSFF) and biofortification, entrepreneurs, researchers, innovators, and organizations were invited to join this mission to address micronutrient deficiencies affecting nearly 500 million people on the African continent.
Organized by the LSFF, Biofortification, and Nutrition Connect teams at GAIN, and supported by partners, The Waterloo Foundation, Funguo Program by United Nations Development Programme-Tanzania, DSM-Firmenich, NMB Foundation, Alliance of Biodiversity & CIAT, and University of Abomey Calavi-Benin; the competition was part of larger efforts to improve the nutritional quality of foods throughout the food value chain in East and West Africa.
Nicodemus was one of the judges and contributed his skills and thought leadership toward determining the winners for both the East and West African legs of the challenge
The winning innovations included:
- A blockchain platform ensuring traceability, fair pricing and transparency in agriculture
- Multi-ingredient flour enriched with iron beans for maternal and child nutrition
- Porridge flour fortified with iron, vitamin B12, zinc and folic acid
- Porridge fortified with local grains and micronutrients for rural markets
- A traceability platform mapping biofortified foods from farm to fork
- A system that tracks and certifies biofortified crops using QR codes and radio frequency Identification (RFID)
- Fortified sorghum, local nutrient-rich foods and digital farmer tools
- Instant porridge fortified with key micronutrients for school children
- Cricket-based fortified porridge tailored for maternal and child health
- Yoghurt enriched with vitamin A, zinc, iron and calcium
- Yoghurt fortified with vitamins and minerals using precision micro-dosing
- Solar-hybrid system producing carrot powder rich in beta-carotene
- Vitamin A-enriched maize processed into flour, cereal and snacks sourced from women farmers
- An agri-tech platform offering traceability, farmer training and market access for biofortified crops
- Fonio-based biscuits enriched with iron, zinc, vitamins B and D, and plant proteins
- Research on orange-fleshed sweet potato integration through recipes, training and outreach
- Fermented locust beans enhanced with folate using modified Bacillus strains
- The use of microbial phytase to improve mineral absorption in plant-based staple foods
- A mobile solar-powered cart fortifying staple foods at rural markets
- Tomato purée fortified with vitamin A and packaged to protect nutrients
- Leafy vegetables fortified with iodised salt during processing to prevent iodine deficiency
- An IoT-monitored solar-powered system producing fortified foods, with a digital marketplace for distribution
