As one of GODAN's components is innovation, we aim to explore opportunities and challenges that arise from using datasets and encourage youth to innovate. GODAN will sponsor the CTA AgriHack Durban Hackathon Challenge winners for the Best Use of Open Data category.

The AgriHack provides opportunities for youth by raising awareness for agriculture as a sector where they can bring added value without being an agricultural specialist; promoting capacity building to help youth find jobs; and creating entrepreneurship possibilities to start their own company for agricultural services.

Overview of categories

1. Climate Change: CCAFS datasets
2. Agricultural Magazine: the content of Spore catalogue, a free data repository, is available on a server 
3. Start-up: teams will get to use their own datasets; teams can work with open or closed data

Climate change category

An app or platform to fight climate change, using available climate change open data, in particular those put together by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). The winning team for this category will receive a cash prize of 4,000 Euros. In addition, after the hackathon the winning team may be granted consultancy fees (between 5,000 and up to 10,000 Euros, depending notably on the quality of the prototype) to finalise the product developed.  CTA and CCFAS will partner to ensure the use and maintenance of the application once it is finalised; the app developed will be a free app that any agricultural or climate change stakeholder can use. 

Start-up category

An app or platform on an agricultural issue important for the South African economy according to the team of developers. The winning team will receive 6,000 Euros.  In addition, they will be granted at least six month of incubation to improve the application, as well as promotional opportunities from CTA and its partners; the team will retain the full Intellectual Property Right of the application and can market it as they wish.

Agricultural magazine category

An app for the free international agricultural magazine Spore produced and distributed by CTA. The winning team in this category will receive a cash prize of 4,000 Euros.  In addition, after the hackathon the winning team may be granted a consultancy fee (between 5,000 and up to 10,000 Euros, depending notably on the quality of the prototype) to finalise the product developed. The app developed will be a free app that will deliver agricultural information to all stakeholders. This magazine is read currently by thousands of readers in all parts of the world, including government officials, university stakeholders, farmers and agricultural cooperatives, and agro-dealers. The app will become CTA’s property after the consultancy. The prototypes developed by non winning teams remain their properties. AgriHack is implemented as part of activities of CTA’s “Youth, ICT and Agriculture” project ARDYIS (Agriculture, Rural Development and Youth in the Information Society). For more information, visit the CTA AgriHack Durban page. Be part of the conversation on Twitter: #AgriHack