Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with AfriLabs, SeedGrow, and the government, launched the Ignite Food Systems Challenge 2025 to stimulate homegrown solutions to boost food security in the country.
The announcement, made Tuesday in Juba, celebrated the winners of the competition’s second edition. The challenge offers grants from USD 20,000 to 40,000 to innovative micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that are helping transform South Sudan’s fragile food system.
“This is more than just a competition—it is a platform to reimagine how we produce and distribute food in a way that is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient,” said Shaun Hughes, Acting WFP Deputy Country Director. “The solutions to South Sudan’s food system challenges are already here within our communities.”
This year’s challenge received 214 applications from across the country, a mark of growing local entrepreneurial potential, despite the difficulties.
South Sudan is grappling with one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, marked by years of civil conflict, poverty, economic collapse, and worsening climate shocks like devastating floods and prolonged droughts.
Food insecurity remains alarmingly high, with over 7 million people projected to face acute hunger this year, according to UN agencies. Economic instability, limited infrastructure, and insecurity continue to hinder access to markets, farming tools, and basic inputs.
Lisa Taban, General Manager of Dream Farm Agribusiness, is among the 2025 winners and received USD 40,000 to establish South Sudan’s first local poultry hatchery.
“This support allows us to build a hatchery and train youth and women as outgrowers,” she said. “We will reduce the need to import chicks from Uganda and improve livelihoods here at home.”
Currently, most chicks and eggs are imported, often arriving in poor condition due to long and costly journeys.
“By producing chicks locally, we avoid high mortality rates and give farmers access to affordable, quality stock,” Taban explained.
The program is supported by Danida (Denmark) and KfW (Germany), with technical support from AfriLabs and SeedGrow. The aim is to build a resilient, climate-smart food economy from the ground up.
“South Sudan has exceptional agricultural potential, but that potential is threatened by insecurity, climate shocks, and poor infrastructure,” said Bjorn Niere, the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in South Sudan. “A safe environment and strong civic space are essential if innovation is to thrive.”
Meanwhile, Baluku Dounnah of AfriLabs said the competition prioritized women-led ventures, which made up 45 percent of winners, geographic diversity, and scalability.
“The best solutions come from the ground,” he stated. “These entrepreneurs just need investment, mentorship, and a system that supports them.”
From irrigation technology to post-harvest loss reduction, the 2025 Ignite Challenge ventures target nearly every link in the food value chain.
The initiative also complements WFP and UNICEF’s broader Joint Resilience Program, which Germany has supported with USD 65 million this year alone.
Tito Awen Bol, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Trade and Investment, urged entrepreneurs to connect with formal institutions to access markets and policy support.
“You can’t export your goods if you don’t know where the Bureau of Standards is,” he said. “We want South Sudan’s SMEs to join associations, collaborate, and become part of the national economy.”
South Sudan’s unemployment rate, particularly among youth and women, remains high. Many live in rural areas cut off by flooding or violence. With traditional aid models stretched thin, many see innovation-led programs like Ignite as a more sustainable path toward food security, job creation, and resilience.
“This is about more than recognition,” Hughes said. “It’s about investing in South Sudanese ingenuity — and building a future where food security is driven by the people themselves.”
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