Innovation competition looks for solutions to combat food insecurity

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with WFP’s Innovation Accelerator, launched the first in-country innovation competition in search of local solutions to tackle food insecurity in the Philippines.

This initiative is part of the Preparedness and Response Excellence in the Philippines (PREP) program, supported by USAID, the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and others. PREP aims to enhance the Philippines’ emergency response and management capacities, supporting vulnerable Filipinos during disasters.

The PREP Innovation Challenge invites local innovators to propose low- and high-tech solutions that will help combat food insecurity in disaster-prone areas of the Philippines. Innovators may apply to one or both of two priority areas: enhancing emergency preparedness to build resilience or increasing efficiency and effectiveness in humanitarian response.

Selected innovations will be showcased at the 2024 PREP Forum in Manila this September.

“At WFP we are asking, ‘Prep ka na ba (Are you ready) to innovate to end hunger in the Philippines?’ This is an opportune time for the PREP Innovation Challenge in the Philippines. It marks WFP’s commitment to help pilot and scale existing innovative approaches to end hunger in the Philippines, in close partnership and support of the government, donors and partners,” said WFP Philippines Country Director Regis Chapman.

All entities, including government (regional, provincial and local government units), local organizations, foundations, academia and others are encouraged to apply. The innovation proposal must target at least one of these provinces: Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Albay, Catanduanes, Cagayan and Isabela. The proposal must also align with national, provincial and local plans, as well as with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Learn more about the PREP Innovation Challenge at and WFP Philippines Facebook Events Page. Interested and eligible innovators may apply at by July 31.