It’s no secret that the French have given the world some of the finest foods and wines known to man and, as it turns out, they are pretty inventive. In 1816 a physician René Laennec invented the stethoscope, and in 1864 they brought us milk pasteurisation, a process that revolutionised food.
Fast-forward to 2020. Now, the French South African Agricultural Institute (F’SAGRI) has just launched its second innovation prize – and Mzansi’s students, researchers and founders of start-ups are competing for prizes worth R300 000. Yes, this time around the ball is in our court…
Last year, during the first competition, Roumiana Vassileva Nikolova came out tops and received not only a cash prize of R50 000, but also a fully-funded grant to visit the French capital this year.
Here’s the deal, though. Projects submitted must relate to agronomy, agri-food, agriculture, the environment or sustainable development. Entries also have to clearly demonstrate feasibility and ambition in relation to the possible follow-up and consequences and, of course, it must truly creative and original.
F’SAGRI was first created in 2015, and provides for capacity building at three Mzansi universities, including the universities of Limpopo, Venda and Fort Hare, as well as research institutes in the agricultural and food sectors. It also provides for the development of innovative companies and more generally a close link with companies in the agricultural and agri-food sector. To do so, F’SAGRI gathers South African as well as French institutions, including government, the Agricultural Research Council, the National Research Foundation, Agreenium and the French Embassy.
Hurry to get your ducks in a row because entries close on midnight on Sunday, 13 September 2020. To make matters a little easier, Food For Mzansi has gathered all the information you need to know.
