Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development

Rajiv Shah, Administrator, USAID
Gunilla Carlsson, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Kathleen Rogers, President of the Earth Day Network
David Mohler, Chief Technology Officer of Duke Energy
Frank Sesno, Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University; Creator and Host, Planet Forward

Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development is a multi-year initiative focused on increasing food security and driving economic growth in the developing world through effective and affordable clean energy solutions for farmers. This effort aims to bring renewable energy technologies to all points in the agricultural value chain, including on-farm uses like water pumping, cold storage to decrease post-harvest loss, and value-added processing like grinding or drying. USAID has been joined in these efforts by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Duke Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and the African Development Bank and through the Powering Agriculture Energy Grand Challenge, USAID and its partners invite innovators to help find the clean energy solutions that will empower farmers and help transform agriculture in the developing world.