Programme supports research-based agricultural innovations across the MENAT region
Goumbook in continued partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank, HSBC Bank Middle East, European Institute of Technology (EIT) Food and the UN High Level Climate Champions Team, is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the second edition of the MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme for the 2024/2025 cohort.
The MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme aims to empower and upskill researchers, students, and innovators with regenerative and entrepreneurial expertise to tackle critical challenges in food systems, biodiversity loss, climate change, and water management across the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT). The programme seeks to bridge the gap between academia, research and the business sector, by transforming research, science and nature- based solutions into accessible, scalable, and sustainable outcomes tailored to the needs of small to medium farm holders. This initiative will catalyze a regional regenerative agriculture movement, addressing the unique agricultural challenges posed by the region’s arid climate, saline soils, desert landscapes, and water scarcity.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reports that irrigated agriculture—which increasingly depends on groundwater—consumes around 85% of renewable water resources in the MENAT region. Small-scale family farms, responsible for over 80% of global crop and livestock production, face critical challenges like water scarcity, soil degradation, and limited support, with many proposed innovations remaining inaccessible to them. Approximately 45% of agricultural land is impacted by salinity, nutrient depletion, and erosion, with overall land degradation estimated between 40% and 70% over the past two decades.
Regenerative agriculture, through its fundamental principles and adoption of resilient crop varieties that require less water, fewer pesticides, and reduced chemical inputs, is an approach that translates as a vital component in addressing the region-specific agriculture and climate challenges of the MENAT region. Regenerative agriculture also holds the potential to sequester carbon dioxide, making it a climate change mitigation and adaptation solution.
Innovators, researchers, and students focusing on regenerative agriculture are encouraged to apply by January 6th, 2025. on the programme website. Applicants will be able to present their ideas and receive support to develop their regenerative solutions addressing pressing issues such as food security, water management, and ecosystem restoration.
The programme’s judging committee will select 20 participants for intensive boot camps and mentorship, culminating in a pitch event where three winners will receive $20,000 grants each and additional support to further develop their proof of concepts and scale their projects for environmental and social impact.
Last year’s inaugural cohort attracted 158 registrations from 18 countries, representing 19 universities and research institutes across the MENAT region. Highlighting the importance of local solutions to the MENAT region’s unique agricultural challenges, participants achieved significant milestones, transforming their research into actionable solutions that enhance climate resilience and food security.
Supporting researchers and innovators in our region is essential to advancing solutions for challenges where the MENAT region, with its heritage and expertise in farming in arid, water-scarce, saline, and desertified landscapes, is uniquely positioned to lead in climate-resilient agriculture—an area of growing importance for global climate action efforts.
Applications now open! Deadline to apply January 6th, 2025.
For information on the MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme, eligibility criteria, programme benefits and the application process, please visit www.MENATRegenerativeAgriculture.com.