Back in July, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) opened an Innovation Accelerator in Munich. The startup tool aims to accelerate the development of innovative solutions for a world without hunger.
The accelerator in Munich brings together WFP staff with experts, entrepreneurs, and civil society actors and is already supporting twelve projects from WFP's aid programs. The teams work together on selected projects for a period of three to six months.
The goal: Developing new creative tools for humanitarian aid, refining solutions, developing prototypes, and accelerating the dissemination of successful ideas. WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin explains:
"We must boldly seek new ideas and solutions to make more food available and accessible, enabling everyone, everywhere, to feed their children. We must work together more closely than ever before, harnessing the power of new technologies and the revolution in big data analytics. This will transform the nature and speed of our aid—and overcome the persistent challenges that have trapped generations in hunger and poverty."
795 million people still do not have enough to eat to lead a healthy and active life.
High expectations for WFP Accelerator
Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at the opening:
"We will continue to need new approaches if we want to ensure that no one on our planet suffers from hunger. To achieve this, we need closer integration of humanitarian aid with business, research, and civil society. The Innovation Accelerator will help develop new technologies or business models for the benefit of people in need."
The Innovation Accelerator is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Federal Foreign Office and the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry.
"Bavaria is proud to support the establishment of a WFP office in Munich. Through close cooperation with companies and research institutes in Bavaria, we can find smart and sustainable solutions for a world without hunger,"
explained Helmut Brunner, Bavarian State Minister for Food, Agriculture and Forestry.
