The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its innovation laboratory, IDB Lab, and in partnership with IDB Invest, the Israeli Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel, seeks to support Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) agribusinesses to overcome technical, financial and knowledge barriers for the adoption of climate smart agriculture solutions.

AGRInnova aims to catalyze the adoption of innovative technologies that enhance agricultural productivity and promote sustainability in the face of climate change. This call for applications seeks to find LAC agribusinesses interested in piloting innovative climate-smart agriculture technology solutions from Israel.

We want to help LAC agribusinesses test innovative technological solutions that address challenges related to climate change.

Agribusiness and the broader food system are key to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement through both reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancement of the land carbon sink. Failure to meet mitigation goals greatly increases the risk of crop production losses from more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods.

The agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector contributes approximately 50% of the GHG emissions in the LAC region. Additionally, the LAC region has the highest carbon footprint associated with food waste in the developing world, with fruits and vegetables constituting more than 40% of the food waste and loss.

Agriculture is one of the sectors with the greatest mitigation potential through emission reductions and carbon sequestration. Additionally, agriculture is a major element of LAC economies and projected climate scenarios may negatively impact economic growth. Innovation in agriculture can help address mitigation and adaptation goals, whilst increasing productivity, exports and creating new jobs. Through the support of climate smart agriculture, innovation and resource efficiency practices and technology, this initiative will support the following SDGs: clean water and sanitation, industry, innovation and infrastructure, climate action and life on land.

IDB Lab is looking for private sector agribusinesses in Latin America and the Caribbean seeking to pilot an innovative climate smart agriculture technology solution.

LAC agribusinesses applications must be associated with one of the following thematic focus areas:

1. Boost productivity – for supplying growing demand and strengthen food security.
2. Improve operational sustainability – for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Some examples may include:

Boost productivity:

1. Reduce crop damage/loss
2. Reduce post-harvest produce loss and food waste.
3. Increase yield quantity and quality by optimizing: Irrigation, crop protection and fertilizer application, pollination, early pest and disease detection and yield predictions.
4. Improve farming operation management through digitalization and automation
5. Improve supply chain management and traceability

Improve environmental sustainability:

1. Reduce the use of agrochemicals by adopting bio-alternatives and/or optimizing application methods and timing.
2. Optimize irrigation for efficient water and energy consumption.
3. Reduce GHG emission and support carbon sinks preservation.
4. Enhance and preserve soil health.
5. Optimize Livestock and aquaculture management. 

Eligibility Criteria

Mandatory requirements

• Private-sector agribusinesses associated with the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products across the food supply chain, from “farm to fork”
• Legally registered in one of the 26 IDB borrowing member countries.
• Application is aligned with the thematic focus areas.
• The pilot project is to be implemented in one of the 26 borrowing member countries.
• Ability to commit to cover at least 20% of the pilot project cost.

Desirable requirements

• Experience in adopting technologies through pilot projects with startups
• Availability of appropriate resources (human, financial, etc.) to implement a pilot project.
• Strong commitment for scaling if pilot is successful.

To apply please complete the online application available on this site by clicking Submit Your Proposal, by June 9^th, 2024. 

A summary of the stages and dates of the call process follows below.

1. Launch: April 8th, 2024.
2. Application: An authorized representative of the organization will submit their project on the online platform, Open IDB, completing the application in Spanish, English, Portuguese or French. Applications received via other media, outside of the stipulated deadline and/or with incomplete forms will be disqualified. Corrections, amendments, or additional documents to those submitted in the application form will not be accepted. Applications that do not comply with the eligibility criteria will not be reviewed.
3. Final date for submitting applications: June 9th, 2024.
4. Evaluation: IDB Lab/ IDB Invest Technical team will review, analyze, and select applications.
5. Matching: IDB Lab/ IDB Invest in coordination with its counterparts in the Israeli government, will analyze the requirements expressed in the organizations’ applications. A matching process will take place through an open call for solutions and the most suitable innovation technology companies from Israel, who provide feasible solution for the challenges, will be sourced, screened and selected.
6. Confirmation of selected projects: November 2024
7. Definition of technical scope: Based on the matching process, virtual sessions will be organized with the participation of IDB Lab/IDB Invest (or their representatives), selected LAC agribusinesses and technology companies from Israel to define the scope of the pilot project in each case. During November 2024.
8. Implementation: the pilot to be implemented according to the agreed pilot scope and achieve its objectives within a 12-month period.

• If your application is selected and successfully matched with a technology solution from Israel, IDB Lab may cover up to 80% of the pilot cost. The selected proposal (LAC agribusiness) will have to cover the remaining cost of the service.
• The funds will be paid directly to the Israeli technology company following an agreed implementation and delivery plan reflected in a written legal agreement.

Applying companies will gain exposure to a broad range of potential opportunities through IDB Group extensive network.  

*For more information, please visit the Guidelines

Please send your questions to: 

AGRINNOVA-LAC@IADB.ORG