By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Three organizations
advancing solutions in renewable energy, food security, and climate resilience
have been recognized with the 2026 OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development,
receiving a combined US$800,000 in funding during the OPEC Fund Development
Forum in Vienna.
The awards were presented as
part of a revamped program introduced to mark the OPEC Fund’s 50th anniversary.
Originally launched in 2006, the Annual Award has been redesigned to recognize
achievements across three categories: Transformational Impact, Innovation for
Development, and Youth Entrepreneurship.
According to the OPEC Fund,
the new format is intended to highlight initiatives that are already delivering
measurable results and demonstrate strong potential for replication and scale.
The Transformational Impact
Award, valued at US$450,000, was presented to Fundación Plan International
España for its DESFERS initiative, which supports women in the Sahel through
renewable energy access, skills development, and financing opportunities.
The project has enabled
women to establish and expand businesses powered by clean energy technologies,
contributing to income generation, food production, and improved livelihoods in
communities facing significant environmental and economic challenges.
The Innovation for
Development Award, worth US$250,000, was awarded to iFarmer Limited for its
work supporting smallholder farmers in Bangladesh. Through a digital platform,
the company connects farmers with financing, agricultural inputs, advisory
services, weather information, and market opportunities.
The organization reports
that it has supported more than 300,000 farmers and facilitated the movement of
hundreds of thousands of tons of agricultural produce to markets, helping
strengthen rural livelihoods and food security.
The Youth Entrepreneurship
Award, valued at US$100,000, was presented to AkoFresh, a company providing
solar-powered cold storage solutions, refrigerated transportation, farmer
training, and market access services.
The initiative aims to
reduce post-harvest losses among rural farmers while improving incomes,
enhancing food security, and strengthening climate resilience in agricultural
communities.
The winners were selected by
an independent evaluation committee comprising Zubaida Bai, former President
and Chief Executive Officer of the Grameen Foundation; Simeon Ehui, Director
General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Regional
Director for Africa at CGIAR; and Michell Zappa, Founder and Chief Executive
Officer of the Envisioning Technology Research Institute.
The committee assessed
nominations based on criteria including impact, innovation, sustainability, and
the potential for scaling and replication.
The awards were presented
during an evening ceremony held following the OPEC Fund Development Forum,
which brought together representatives from governments, development finance
institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations.
