How JR Biotek Foundation is Bridging Science and Real-World Agriculture to Transform Food Systems in Africa
At JR Biotek Foundation, we are guided by a simple but powerful belief: Africa’s most pressing agricultural, food security, and environmental challenges can and must be solved by those who understand them best. That means solutions must be locally adaptable, scientifically grounded, and community-driven. We believe that the continent’s greatest change agents are the scientists and agripreneurs working on the ground, rooted in the realities of their communities.
This vision led to the creation of the Africa Bio-Innovation Pitch Competition in 2017, a bold initiative designed to spark collaboration, inspire scientific creativity, and foster entrepreneurship among Africa’s emerging research leaders. Over five years, this platform challenged young African innovators to transform visionary ideas into practical, scalable solutions for agriculture, food systems, education, and policy development.
Soilless Veggy: A Homegrown Solution for Food Security
Among the many remarkable success stories birthed through this competition is Soilless Veggy, a pioneering venture co-created by a dynamic team of four African scientists who met for the very first time during one of JR Biotek’s training programmes in 2021.
What sets their journey apart is how it began. The Africa Bio-Innovation Pitch Competition is not just an add-on; it is a core component of JR Biotek’s world-class training and capacity-building workshops. Scientists selected for JR Biotek’s intensive laboratory courses are also invited to participate in the pitch challenge, designed to unleash innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. Prior to each programme, participants are placed into multidisciplinary teams and tasked with co-creating ideas for ventures or projects that directly address urgent food security, agricultural, or environmental issues in their home countries.
The Soilless Veggy team, formed during JR Biotek’s 2021 hands-on plant molecular biology training workshop, co-organised with and hosted at the CSIR–Crops Research Institute in Kumasi, Ghana, rose to that challenge. Drawing from their diverse expertise, they developed a venture focused on a critical issue affecting millions of African farmers: limited access to arable land and agricultural inputs.
Their solution? A nutrient-rich, cost-effective growing medium, made from locally available materials and requiring minimal soil. Designed to enhance vegetable production in urban and resource-limited settings, this innovation supports climate-smart, space-efficient agriculture that reduces dependency on fertilisers and fertile land. Listen to their testimonial below.
The Soilless Veggy team includes:
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- Dr Adewumi, Plant Molecular Breeder, IITA, Nigeria
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- Salifu Faisal, Biotechnologist, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana
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- Dr Buernor, Crop Science & Sustainable Agriculture Systems Expert, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, Morocco
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- Emmanuel Osei Mensah, PhD candidate & Medical Scientist, University of Tsukuba, Japan
Their idea emerged during a brainstorming session at the workshop and went on to win the tri-national Bio-Innovation Pitch Competition, held concurrently with JR Biotek’s training programmes in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya. With seed funding provided by JR Biotek Foundation, the team successfully piloted their innovation, showing promising results and enormous potential to improve food production for smallholder farmers across the continent.
This story is more than a pitch. It’s proof that when African scientists are equipped with the right tools, the right support, and the right platforms, they can co-create solutions that truly change lives.
This is the driving force behind the Agri-Innovation & Impact Project (AGRIIP), a bold, initiative led by JR Biotek Foundation to empower 100 agricultural scientists and 3,000 farmers across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. AGRIIP provides:
✅ A collaborative platform for scientists and farmers to co-develop practical and context-specific solutions
✅ Access to funding, mentorship, and innovation tools to scale breakthroughs
✅ A strong pipeline for translating research into market-ready applications
At its core, AGRIIP promotes scientist-farmer partnerships that ensure innovations are not only rooted in research but are demand-driven and community-responsive. By supporting visionary ventures like Soilless Veggy, AGRIIP bridges the gap between the lab and the field, empowering Africa’s food producers with solutions they can trust and use.
Caption: Early-career scientists participating in JR Biotek Foundation’s 2021 hands-on plant molecular bio-laboratory training programme at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute, GhanaWhy Your Support Matters
Scaling AGRIIP across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya is urgent. These countries represent three of Africa’s most dynamic and vulnerable agricultural ecosystems, home to millions of smallholder farmers who urgently need affordable, climate-resilient, and locally adaptable solutions.
With your support, we can:
🔹 Equip Africa’s next generation of agricultural innovators with the skills, funding, and networks to scale their ideas
🔹 Empower smallholder farmers with science-based tools to break the cycle of hunger and poverty
🔹 Build sustainable innovation ecosystems that drive long-term transformation across Africa’s food systems
Be Part of the Movement
- Subscribe to our mailing list to stay updated on AGRIIP, Roots of Resilience 2026, and other initiatives empowering African scientists and smallholder farmers.
- Explore the JR Biotek Art Gallery, where science and creativity come together to honour Africa’s agricultural heritage and inspire action.
- Support our work by becoming a sponsor or making a donation to help us scale our impact and build thriving agricultural communities.
You can donate directly via our website or through GoFundMe. For alternative ways to give, please contact us at info@jrbiotekfoundation.org.
Together, we can power African innovation and turn science into action where it matters most.
