The Inclusive Digital Agriculture Transformation (IDAT) programme celebrated a significant milestone with the successful culmination of the Regional Demo Day for Cohort 1 of the IDAT AgriTech Accelerator.

Representatives from the Presidential Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Health, National Food Promotion Board, Ministry of Agriculture, SLSI, ITI, University of Wayamba, PATH, World Food Programme, and others were invited to address some of the programmatic issues facing the domestic rice fortification program.

We are exploring collaboration opportunities across Asia. We had a productive meeting with the UNOPS regional team, emphasizing that addressing regional challenges and learning from one another is essential for finding sustainable solutions.

Facilitated by us, the SACEP retreat was convened to focus on the future direction of the South Asian Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), enhancing regional cooperation, and addressing environmental challenges facing South Asia. Key areas of focus included future environmental projects, team building, stress management, and improving partnerships.

We facilitated a high-level learning visit for Sri Lankan National Food Promotion Board (NFPB) representatives to India to study best practices in large-scale food fortification and nutrition governance. The delegation engaged with key institutions, including Mumbai Public School, where India’s Mid-Day Meal Program was examined for its successful integration of fortified rice into school feeding initiatives.

We are actively collaborating with The Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a not-for-profit organisation founded by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). GFTN aims to leverage technology and promote innovation to create more efficient, resilient, and inclusive financial ecosystems through global partnerships.

We organised a series of meetings with the newly established Government of Sri Lanka for the Gates Foundation to reaffirm the government’s priorities. Discussions with the Honourable Prime Minister, the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, the Deputy Ministers of Finance, and their respective secretaries focused on strategies to support smallholder farmers through IDAT and to address the malnutrition crisis by identifying sustainable nutrition solutions.

Together with PATH, CTC aims at furthering the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation & World Food Programme initiative to fight malnutrition through rice fortification.

Connect To Care and Global Health Strategies partner to support the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in their policy advocacy initiative.