Nominations are officially open for the African Food Prize 2025, Africa’s most prestigious award celebrating bold innovation and leadership in agriculture. With a grand prize of $100,000, the award honours individuals and institutions driving the transformation of African agriculture from a means of survival into a sustainable, profitable business.
The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2025, and the search is on for those whose groundbreaking efforts are reshaping food systems, empowering farmers, and fuelling economic growth across the continent.
Launched in 2005 as the Yara Prize by Norway’s Yara International ASA, and rebranded in 2016 as the African Food Prize to reflect its deep-rooted African identity, the award has spotlighted agricultural heroes from countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Past winners have made measurable impacts in areas like food security, nutrition, poverty reduction, and agribusiness innovation.
According to the African Food Prize Committee, African leaders and institutions are increasingly recognising agriculture’s role in securing the continent’s future. There is growing evidence that with the right resources and tools, African farmers can increase productivity, generate income, and contribute significantly to national and regional economies.
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But the journey is far from over. Millions of smallholder farmers still face barriers such as poor access to quality inputs, limited storage facilities, market inaccessibility, and volatile pricing. These challenges continue to hinder progress despite the continent’s vast agricultural potential.
The African Food Prize serves not just as an award but as a rallying call for innovation. It seeks to highlight scalable, replicable, and sustainable agricultural models that can be adopted across Africa. From Rwanda to Zimbabwe, and from Senegal to Uganda, the prize encourages agricultural trailblazers to step forward or be nominated, so their work can inspire others and drive systemic change.
Nominations are judged based on clear criteria including proven contributions to reducing hunger and poverty, enhancing nutrition, and fostering cross-border cooperation among African communities and institutions.
With Africa poised to become a global agricultural powerhouse, the African Food Prize 2025 stands as a powerful symbol of what is possible when innovation meets opportunity. Submit a nomination today and be part of Africa’s food revolution.
