We’re pleased to announce the 19 shortlisted candidates for the third round of the Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) Challenge! Over the past two years, in collaboration with the Shockwave Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation, RAIN has supported East African innovators in transforming early-stage agricultural ideas that address climate resilience challenges into viable, investment-ready solutions.
The shortlisted candidates will be invited to a Leadership Academy in Nairobi, Kenya, and will receive tailored mentorship support over the coming months. After which the winners will be selected.
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Meet the RAIN 3 shortlisted candidates:
For-profit initiatives
Project: Freshpack: Revolutionising Post-Harvest Resilience for Women Vendors
Organisation: Freshpack Technologies
Country: Tanzania
Working closely with local communities, Feshpack is tackling post-harvest vegetable loss in East Africa with an innovative cooling box that extends shelf life without electricity. By scaling production and reaching 10,000 women vendors, this solution boosts climate resilience, reduces waste, and supports sustainable, inclusive agricultural systems.
Project: Bee Guardians of the Crest
Organisation: BeeGulf Limited
Country: Rwanda
In Rwanda’s Congo Nile Crest, Bee Guardians of the Crest introduces modern beekeeping to empower women, young people, and refugees while restoring ecosystems. By boosting honey production and planting nectar-rich, indigenous species, it supports biodiversity, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods rooted in ecological and social equity.
Project: Vermicomposting for Sustainable Production of Organic Fertiliser and Pesticides
Organisation: VERMIFARM
Country: Rwanda
VERMIFARM transforms organic waste into nutrient-rich fertiliser using vermicomposting, improving soil health and yields for smallholder farmers. Targeting 5,000 farmers and local communities, they promote regenerative agriculture, aim to cut carbon emissions, and provide economic opportunities, especially young mothers.
Project: Organic Fertiliser Production
Organisation: Green Ethiopia
Country: Ethiopia
Green Ethiopia is producing high-quality, affordable organic fertilisers from local waste to improve soil fertility and reduce input costs for farmers. With tailored blends and granulated formats, Organic Fertiliser Production aims to enhance water conservation, empower women, and create jobs in waste management.
Project: Smart Productive Forests
Organisation: Green Intelligence Kenya
Country: Kenya
Green Intelligence combines agroforestry with a mobile app to help farmers document tree planting, access expert advice, and earn from carbon credits. They work to restore degraded landscapes and connect growers to premium markets, which in turn unlocks sustainable income and promotes climate-smart farming.
Project: Sustainable Native Species Aquaculture for Food Security and Biodiversity Protection in Lake Tanganyika
Organisation: Tanganyika Blue
Country: Tanzania
Tanganyika Blue addresses overfishing and food insecurity while preserving biodiversity by farming native tilapia in Lake Tanganyika. They also provide local communities with skills training and community-led monitoring, ensuring local ownership, inclusive employment, and a replicable model for sustainable aquaculture in tropical lake ecosystems.
Project: Democratising Weather and Climate Intelligence for Smallholder Farmers
Organisation: Ignitia
Country: Uganda
Ignitia delivers hyper-local weather forecasts via SMS, USSD, and WhatsApp, helping farmers in Uganda and Kenya make informed decisions. The service improves yields, reduces climate risks, promotes resource efficiency and works to empower smallholders with timely, accessible weather and climate information.
Project: Oasis Green Sprouts of Hope – The Solar-Powered Hydroponics Farms in ASALs
Organisation: Grand-Crest Energy Limited
Country: Kenya
Using solar energy and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, this initiative sets up hydroponic farms in Kenya’s dryland regions to grow food efficiently with minimal water. It equips women and youth with new skills and promotes climate resilience through sustainable, low-input agriculture.
Project: Sireet OEP Tea and Avocado Integration Initiative – For Climate Change Adaptation
Organisation: Sireet Outgrowers Empowerment and Producer Company Limited
Country: Kenya
Sireet is introducing avocado trees into tea farms to create an additional income stream for smallholders. The intercropping method boosts soil health and moisture retention, enabling farmers to adapt to climate change without expanding farmland or compromising tea yields.
Project: Production of Oyster Mushroom for Sustainable Community-based Bio-farm
Organisation: Ihumure Centre Limited
Country: Rwanda / Burundi
This initiative promotes oyster mushroom farming among women, young people, and people with disabilities near Volcanoes National Park. It creates climate-smart bio-farms using agri-waste, improves food security, and turns spent substrate into organic fertiliser, enhancing sustainability across the entire value chain.
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Not-for-profit initiatives
Project: Carbon Farming for Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability and Profitability (CAFAESUP)
Organisation: Food Security for Peace and Nutrition Africa (FSPN Africa)
Country: Tanzania/Kenya
The CAFAESUP project works with young people and women farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture and benefit from carbon finance. Using AI-driven tools, it measures on-farm carbon emissions and sequestration, building more climate-resilient food systems and supporting sustainable agricultural transformation.
Project: A Basic Income for Nature and Climate in Turkana County
Organisation: Equal Right
Country: Kenya
This initiative pairs unconditional cash transfers with ecosystem restoration, supporting farmers in Turkana to invest in agroecology, water harvesting, and climate-resilient crops. By linking financial inclusion with environmental stewardship, it offers a sustainable model for long-term resilience and regeneration.
Project: Eramatare at Mara Isinya Conservancy
Organisation: Stichting Osotua Foundation Netherlands
Country: Kenya
Eramatare restores savanna ecosystems by integrating community-led grazing, kitchen gardens, and life fencing to support wildlife corridors and agricultural lands. The project works to enhance climate resilience, improve food security, and create lasting harmony between nature, people, and livestock.
Project: Strengthening Peace Building and Climate Change Resilience through Participatory Rangelands Management
Organisation: Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE)
Country: Kenya
In Baringo County, this initiative promotes climate resilience and peace through community-led rangeland restoration. With inclusive governance, planned grazing, and biodiversity-focused land management, it improves soil health, supports productive livestock systems, and enhances collaboration across pastoralist communities.
Project: Sustainable Enterprises for Resilient Ecosystem Services (SERIES)
Organisation: Join for Water
Country: Uganda
SERIES builds on the success of Women River Ambassadors by scaling eco-enterprises that combine farming with ecosystem protection. Through savings groups and river restoration funds, the project supports household-driven stewardship of river catchments in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains.
Project: Empowering Communities and Advancing Human-Wildlife Coexistence
Organisation: Environmental Conservation for Wildlife and Community Enterprises (ECOWICE)
Country: Tanzania
This project reduces human-wildlife conflict in the Selous-Niassa Corridor using early warning systems powered by camera traps, drones, and WhatsApp alerts. Paired with sustainable farming practices, it enhances food security and promotes safe, balanced co-existence between communities and wildlife.
Project: Aquahope in Siaya and Farms of Freedom in Kajiado
Organisation: Global Capacity Building Centre
Country: Kenya
In Siaya and Kajiado, this initiative provides women and girls with skills in aquaculture and regenerative farming. Through training, financial literacy, and mentorship, it creates new livelihood pathways, promotes biodiversity, and supports climate-smart agricultural practices.
Project: Food Forests for Climate Resilience in Kajiado
Organisation: Impact Hub Nairobi
Country: Kenya
This learning hub trains farmers in syntropic agroforestry, combining food forests with water-efficient technologies to regenerate soil, improve yields, and conserve biodiversity. The project enhances local food systems and builds climate resilience across arid and semi-arid areas.
Project: Leveraging Owl Predation for Climate-Adapted Rodent Control (LOPE-CARE)
Organisation: Sokoine University of Agriculture
Country: Tanzania
LOPE-CARE enhances rodent control by restoring owl populations as natural predators, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. By protecting habitats and educating communities on the ecological value of owls, they improve ecosystem health and promote sustainable farming.