By Pauline Luba
Freza Nanotech, an invention that could be a game changer for Uganda’s small-scale farmers, has won an innovation award of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome for pioneering fruit preservation technology. The innovation also won the prestigious Civil Society Award at the 2024 Dubai Solutions Summit.
The awards recognize the company’s innovative fruit shelving technology that leverages nanotechnology to combat post-harvest losses. In a world struggling with food security challenges, the innovation, which preserves fruits and vegetables by releasing a safe organic formulation extending shelf life by 30 days, offers hope and demonstrates the power of homegrown solutions.
Gift Arnold Mugisha, the Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Freza Nanotech, highlighted the significance of the recognition: “This award not only acknowledges our commitment, but also symbolizes how innovative technological solutions can address global challenges, especially in food security and sustainability.”
The innovation that took Mugisha and his co-founder, Samantha Ainembabazi, two years to develop extends the freshness of fruits and vegetables, allowing farmers to access better markets and reduce waste.
The Prototypes for Humanity; Dubai Future Solutions is renowned for showcasing transformative innovations designed to advance sustainable development worldwide. For Freza Nanotech, clinching the Civil Society Award validates their work and opens up opportunities to scale their innovation to more farmers and markets globally. Their fruit shelving technology has already reached over 150 farmers in Uganda, with tangible results in reducing waste and increasing profitability.
“This recognition is a testament to the difference our technology is making,” said Ainembabazi, a fresh UCU graduate of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. She is aspiring to start a medical internship, a mandatory requirement, for all medical graduates in Uganda before they dive into practice.
“We are thrilled that our efforts to empower farmers and improve food security are being celebrated on such a global platform,” Ainembabazi noted.
Freza Nanotech’s core mission stems from addressing the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Uganda, where agriculture employs over 70% of the population, but suffers from significant post-harvest losses.
By preserving produce, Freza Nanotech’s technology contributes to reducing the environmental burden of food loss while supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including those on hunger, economic growth, and climate action.
“Efforts like these demonstrate that agrifood systems can be both productive and sustainable, contributing to better nutrition and improved livelihoods in Uganda and beyond,” said QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), during the awards ceremony that took place last month at FAO’s headquarters in Rome, on the sidelines of the 176th session of the FAO council.
Freza Nanotech’s journey to the summit was not without challenges, as they competed against some of the most innovative solutions globally. Their triumph is a testament to the resilience and vision of the team, whose work is now sparking interest from investors, development agencies, and innovators alike.
Backed by their recent recognition, the company aims to expand its reach and adapt the technology for other agricultural products. For Uganda, this milestone inspires future innovators to tackle pressing challenges with bold, creative solutions.
Freza Nanotech’s success is more than just a win for the startup — it’s a victory for Ugandan innovation and a step toward a future where local solutions address global issues.
