Representatives of SafeSip, winner of the gold prize, pose for a photo at the finals of the 2025 Global AgriInno Challenge in Hangzhou. [Photo provided by Pinduoduo]

The 2025 Global AgriInno Challenge wrapped up on Aug 29 in Binjiang district of Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province.

That's after three days of innovation and collaboration, spotlighting youth-driven solutions shaping the future of farming.

The name AgriInno is said to be a fusion of "agriculture" and "innovation" — capturing the challenge's core mission: To spotlight tech-driven solutions that transform global food systems.

Co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or FAO, Zhejiang University and Chinese online retailer Pinduoduo, the competition received a record 519 applications from 97 countries and regions, with nine teams selected to pitch their innovations.

Tanzanian startup SafeSip won the gold award with its portable water filtration system designed to combat poultry-related diseases by providing smallholder farmers with clean and affordable water.

China's Swine Herd Real-time Guard Battle project earned silver for its AI-powered health monitoring system, which detects early signs of illness in pigs and improves survival rates by more than 3 percent.

PlantPulse Patch from the US secured bronze with nano-sensor technology that detects plant stress before visible symptoms appear, offering growers a two-to-three day advantage in disease management.

According to Vincent Martin, director of FAO's Office of Innovation, the challenge demonstrated how youth-led innovations were essential to tackling rising temperatures, resource scarcity and fragile supply chains while driving digital agriculture forwards.

Vice-President of Zhejiang University Zhou Jianghong highlighted the university's collaboration with the FAO to foster sustainable agri-food systems. Meanwhile, the Vice-President of online retailer Pinduoduo, Hou Kaidi, underscored the company's commitment to advancing the integration of AI and agriculture through continued investment and international partnerships.

Now in its fifth edition, the Global AgriInno Challenge has evolved into a global platform that connects young innovators with academia and industry — accelerating the adoption of AI-driven farming technologies and promoting the global transition towards digital agriculture.

Vincent Martin, director of the FAO Office of Innovation, gives his thoughts at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Global AgriInno Challenge finals in Hangzhou. [Photo provided by Pinduoduo]