Apia, Samoa, 8 June 2026 – Samoa’s
most promising agrifood entrepreneurs gathered this week to
compete in the 2026 Agri-Innovate Competition Finale, the
culminating event of a flagship initiative under the
Sustainable Transformation of Domestic Agrifood Systems
(STODAS) project. Funded by the European Union (EU) for WST
31.3 million (EUR 10 million) and implemented by the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
the STODAS project supports the transformation of agrifood
systems across Fiji, Samoa, and Solomon Islands.
In
Samoa, the Scientific Research Organization of Samoa (SROS)
organizes the annual competition to identify, train, and
empower micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)
and agribusinesses across the country. The SROS successfully
concluded the Samoa Agri-Innovate Competition 2026 on 5 June
2026 through a Business Pitch Presentation Event and Awards
Ceremony held in Apia. The event brought together emerging
agribusinesses, government representatives, development
partners, and private sector stakeholders to celebrate
agribusiness innovation and entrepreneurship in
Samoa.
The event marked the culmination of the third
round of the Samoa Agri-Innovate Competition — a flagship
activity of the Agribusiness Incubator (ABI) established by
SROS in September 2024 under the EU-funded STODAS project,
as part of the European Union’s broader commitment to
sustainable agriculture, food security, private sector
development, and resilient local economies across the
Pacific region.
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H.E. Ms. Barbara Plinkert,
Ambassador of the European Union to the
Pacific
“The European Union is proud to
support the Samoa Agri-Innovate Competition, reflecting our
commitment to sustainable agrifood systems and inclusive
growth across the Pacific. Through STODAS and our Global
Gateway Strategy, we are dedicated to empowering innovative
agribusinesses and MSMEs – because we believe
entrepreneurship is key to building resilient, food-secure
communities.”
“Let us keep working together to
turn this entrepreneurial energy into lasting opportunities
for Samoan communities.”
Ten shortlisted
agribusinesses competed in the final pitch presentations,
showcasing innovative products, services, and business
models aimed at transforming Samoa’s agriculture and food
systems. The event concluded with an Awards Ceremony
recognizing top-performing participants for their
innovation, market potential, and commitment to sustainable
agribusiness growth. An exhibition and networking session
gave participants an additional platform to showcase their
products and engage directly with buyers, investors, and
government stakeholders.
The 2026 edition marks a
significant milestone: the third consecutive round of the
competition since the ABI’s establishment. This trajectory
reflects growing entrepreneurial interest in Samoa’s
agrifood sector and demonstrates the ABI’s role in building
a pipeline of innovative, market-oriented enterprises
capable of contributing to food security, import
substitution, and rural economic
development.
Mr Guangzhou Qu, FAO Subregional
Coordinator for the Pacific Islands
“FAO
fully supports the SROS strategy to dedicate this cycle of
the competition to the cocoa sector. We believe that
leveraging all possible synergies is at the heart of
developing a strong agribusiness incubation ecosystem. With
cocoa as the chosen priority crop under the FAO OCOP
project, the Agribusiness Incubator’s focus on identifying
and supporting cocoa agribusinesses is a powerful
innovation. We wish all the participating enterprises great
success.”
FAO provides technical leadership for the
implementation of the STODAS project, working in close
partnership with national governments and institutions to
strengthen agrifood systems, promote value addition, and
build the capacities of farmers, entrepreneurs, and
agribusiness enterprises across Fiji, Samoa, and Solomon
Islands.
Fiso Dr Fiame Leo, Chief Executive
Officer, Scientific Research Organization of Samoa
(SROS)
“The Agribusiness Incubator has
demonstrated remarkable growth, reflected in the quality and
diversity of participating enterprises. The caliber of these
agribusinesses—ranging from innovative start-ups to
established ventures—underscores the strength of Samoa’s
entrepreneurial spirit. SROS remains firmly committed to
fostering agribusiness innovation and entrepreneurship,
ensuring that our scientific expertise continues to empower
local enterprises to thrive, competes, and contributes
meaningfully to national development. “
The ABI was
established to foster entrepreneurship, value addition, and
sustainable agribusiness growth by providing training,
mentorship, and structured incubation support to emerging
enterprises. The initiative places particular emphasis on
increasing the participation of youth and women in Samoa’s
agrifood sector, creating inclusive economic opportunities
that contribute to the country’s long-term food security and
agricultural resilience.
The Samoa Agri-Innovate
Competition exemplifies the power of partnerships in driving
agricultural innovation. Through collaboration among SROS,
FAO, the European Union, and national stakeholders, the
initiative is contributing to stronger, more diversified,
and more resilient agrifood systems — not only in Samoa,
but across the Pacific.
About
The
STODAS Project
The Sustainable Transformation
of Domestic Agrifood Systems in Fiji, Samoa, and Solomon
Islands (STODAS) project is funded by the European Union and
implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the governments of
Fiji, Samoa, and Solomon Islands. The project supports the
transformation of domestic agrifood systems through
sustainable agriculture, agribusiness development, market
access, innovation, and capacity building.
The
Scientific Research Organization of Samoa
(SROS)
SROS is Samoa’s principal scientific
research and innovation institution. Through the
Agribusiness Incubator (ABI), SROS supports agribusiness
entrepreneurs with incubation services, mentoring, applied
research, and market development support under the STODAS
project.
About FAO in the Pacific
Islands
The Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO) is the specialized UN agency
that has been leading international efforts to defeat hunger
and malnutrition for 80 years. Since 1996, Samoa has been
hosting the FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands
in its capital, Apia. This office is responsible for
developing, overseeing, and implementing programmes and
projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture,
and rural development priorities in the Cook Islands, the
Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall
Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga,
Tuvalu, Vanuatu, as well as the territory of Tokelau, an
Associate
Member.
