WFP unveils innovation challenge to strengthen Tanzania's food systems. Media/news company Mwananchi Communications Limited Dar es Salaam. The World Food Programme (WFP), in partnership with StartHub Africa, has launched a nationwide innovation challenge aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and businesses developing solutions to improve food security, nutrition and climate resilience in Tanzania. Dubbed the IGNITE Challenge Tanzania 1.0, the initiative seeks to identify and support high-potential innovators working on sustainable food systems, with successful applicants eligible for funding of up to $40,000 (about Sh104 million) to pilot and scale their solutions. The challenge focuses on two key areas: water-smart technologies for food production and the development of nutritious complementary foods for children aged between six and 59 months. The programme comes as Tanzania faces increasing climate-related pressures on agriculture and food production, alongside persistent nutrition challenges affecting vulnerable groups, particularly young children. WFP Tanzania said the initiative is designed to accelerate locally developed innovations capable of improving food security, strengthening community resilience and expanding access to nutritious foods. Selected participants will receive technical mentorship, business development support and access to networks within Tanzania's innovation ecosystem to help refine and scale their solutions. Speaking during the launch, WFP Tanzania head of innovation, Ms Tayamika Mattao, said local innovators have a critical role to play in addressing some of the country's most pressing development challenges. "Across Tanzania, we continue to see innovators building practical and impactful solutions for communities, particularly in agriculture, nutrition and climate resilience," she said. "Through the IGNITE Challenge, we want to create opportunities for these innovators to access the support, partnerships and resources needed to scale their ideas and contribute to building stronger and more sustainable food systems." The challenge is open to start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), innovators and other enterprises with solutions that can be implemented and expanded to benefit communities across the country. For innovators working on water-efficient farming technologies, irrigation systems and climate-smart agricultural solutions, the programme offers an opportunity to test and demonstrate their innovations in settings such as schools and refugee camps. Food manufacturers and distributors producing nutritious foods for young children are also encouraged to participate, with the aim of improving nutrition outcomes and reducing malnutrition among children.

SEADRIF and WFP introduce impact-based insurance for vulnerable people in Lao PDR. May 7, 2026 5 MINS READ Photo: (C) WFP Lao PDR/Vilakhone Sipaseuth VIENTIANE, Lao PDR | 07 May 2026 - The SEADRIF Insurance Company and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have introduced an innovative, impact-based disaster risk insurance policy in Lao PDR. The policy provides pre-arranged financing of up to US$1.1 million to enable timely support to communities affected by extreme weather and other natural hazards. It complements the government's existing sovereign policy, which provides financial protection for national disaster response efforts. The policy brings together government, humanitarian, and disaster risk financing partners in a public-private collaboration to strengthen preparedness and long-term resilience to climate and disaster risks. In Lao PDR, climate shocks are increasing the frequency and severity of floods, droughts and storms. Rural communities are hit hardest because livelihoods are closely tied to agriculture, and food insecurity is a persistent challenge. Rapid support for vulnerable households, including through cash-based assistance, is critical when disasters strike so communities can prepare and protect their homes and livelihoods. "The SEADRIF parametric insurance policy represents an important step in strengthening our national systems to prepare for emergencies and better protect vulnerable communities," said Mr. Vongkham Phanthanouvong, Director-General of the Social Welfare Department, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Lao PDR. "By working with WFP, we can plan more effectively and ensure timely, predictable support for people impacted by climate-related shocks. This collaboration demonstrates our shared commitment and strong partnership to building resilience and safeguarding livelihoods across Lao PDR." The policy mirrors the structure of the existing sovereign disaster insurance programme co-designed by Lao PDR and SEADRIF and launched in 2025. The programme introduced the world's first impact-based insurance policy, with payouts triggered by the number of people affected, as reported through official government data, rather than hazard measurements or modelled losses. Following a series of disaster events in 2025, including Tropical Cyclones Wutip and Wipha and associated flooding, the SEADRIF policy provided US$2 million to the Government of Lao PDR within days. This shows how well-designed disaster risk financing instruments can deliver rapid, rules-based financing at scale, to support immediate disaster response efforts. WFP is building on this progress by replicating the government's policy in 2026. The policy came into effect on 1 May 2026 for a twelve-month coverage period, with implementation anchored in Lao PDR's shock-responsive social protection system. Once triggered, payouts will finance WFP's response operations and be deployed in coordination with the government through a jointly agreed response plan. The policy is expected to support over 31,000 vulnerable people through timely cash-based transfers and linkages with national social protection systems. "This SEADRIF parametric insurance policy shows how innovative disaster risk financing can reach the most vulnerable households while also strengthening national shock-responsive systems," said Marc-André Prost, WFP Laos Representative and Country Director. "Through this policy and resulting partnerships, WFP can ensure it has the resources required to deliver rapid, predictable, people-centred support to communities affected by climate-related shocks in coordination with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare." Coverage spans multiple hazards, including floods, tropical cyclones, earthquakes and landslides, providing up to US$1.1 million in annual protection. Payouts are activated as disaster effects accumulate, starting when at least 200,000 people are affected and scaling up as impacts increase. WFP subscribed to this policy with funding from the Global Shield Financing Facility (GSFF). The experience in Lao PDR will inform further development of disaster risk financing solutions across the region, as countries seek more innovative and coordinated approaches to managing climate risk. Collaboration between SEADRIF and WFP in Lao PDR provides a path for extending impact-based risk transfer through partnerships with humanitarian agencies, including other UN partners, with potential application in climate-vulnerable settings beyond Southeast Asia. "This policy extends financial protection directly to households - the people most exposed when disasters hit," said Benedikt Signer, CEO of the SEADRIF Insurance Company. "It builds on the sovereign programme we co-designed with Lao PDR and demonstrates what is possible when government, humanitarian, and risk finance actors work towards a shared vision for resilience. We see this as a model for the region." The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Follow WFP on X @WFPAsiaPacific. For inquiries, please contact Ildiko Hamos, [email protected], Mob. +856 20 5607 6452 About SEADRIF: Taking the Crisis Out of Disasters SEADRIF is a regional platform established and owned by ASEAN+3 countries to strengthen disaster and climate resilience through pre-arranged financial protection and advisory support. It provides access to rapid and predictable funding when shocks occur, enabling governments to better manage disaster-related costs. Through its regulated insurance company set up in Singapore, SEADRIF blends public and private capital to expand access to new forms of development insurance. Working closely with member countries, it co-designs solutions that are fit for purpose and scales them across sectors, geographies, and perils - helping protect people, economies, and futures across Southeast Asia. More news from SEADRIF insurance company. Are you an experienced leader in insurance and operations who can help build and grow SEADRIF to the next level? Join SEADRIF Insurance Company to help take... Join SEADRIF and help SEADRIF Insurance Company take crisis out of disaster in Southeast Asia. Across ASEAN, public assets remain largely uninsured despite rising disaster and climate... Disaster risks across Southeast Asia are becoming more frequent, complex, and costly, placing growing pressure on public finances. Between 2015 and 2020, disasters cost ASEAN...