📈 FAO, MoE & HNB Launch Youth Innovation Challenge for World Food Day 2026

• Initiative Overview: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ministry of Education, and Hatton National Bank (HNB) have launched the World Food Day 2026 Youth Innovation Challenge under the theme "Innovate Today – Nourish Tomorrow". • Core Objective: Invites university students across state and private institutions to develop scalable, tech-driven solutions for key agrifood systems issues, driving entrepreneurship and rural economic resilience. • Target Sectors: Focuses on addressing structural hurdles across agriculture, fisheries, livestock, food security & nutrition, and environmental climate resilience. • Industry Impact: Aims to mitigate post-harvest losses, water inefficiencies, market disconnects, and gear loss to modernize traditional sectors that are vital to national employment and livelihoods. • Implementation & Structure: Multi-stage competition selecting 25 initial teams, advancing 10 to prototype development with technical support (TRACE Expert City, IEEE, SLIC, NIA, Square Hub), culminating in top 3 cash award winners at the World Food Day national event on 16 October.