World Food Forum Awards Forestry Research Prizes
The FAO announced recipients of the 2026 Transformative Research Challenge funding for global forest restoration initiatives.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Organic Food
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The Food and Agriculture Organization presented forestry research awards during the 2026 World Food Forum. Four winning and finalist teams were selected to receive research funding for their work in environmental restoration and monitoring.
Why it matters
These awards provide critical capital to support youth-led innovations in forestry and ecosystem management. The funding enables researchers to scale digital tools that track and protect vital natural resources worldwide.
Each of the four winning and finalist teams received US$10,000 in research funding as part of five total awards presented at the challenge. The research projects utilize specialized digital tools, including mobile phone reporting and the Open Foris Ground platform.
The players
Neyamat Hossen
Neyamat Hossen is a researcher who led the Mangrove Intelligence Research Team to victory.
Gad Okodi
Gad Okodi is a 2025 AIM4Forests Young Forest Champion recognized for his contributions to forestry monitoring.
Tiina Vähänen
Tiina Vähänen is an official at the Food and Agriculture Organization who presented the forestry awards.
Jonathan André Fletes Gómez
Jonathan André Fletes Gómez was a finalist in the 2026 World Food Forum Transformative Research Challenge.
Keith May
Keith May was recognized as a finalist for the forestry prizes during the international event.
The details
Neyamat Hossen, representing the Mangrove Intelligence Research Team, earned the Youth-led Research for Forest Restoration Prize for a digital decision-support platform. Additionally, 2025 AIM4Forests Young Forest Champion Gad Okodi was honored with the Forest Monitoring Innovation Prize for his work in disturbance reporting.
Timeline
2025: Gad Okodi was named an AIM4Forests Young Forest Champion.
2026: The World Food Forum Transformative Research Challenge took place.
October 20, 2026: The winners were announced at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
Culture Shift
This award announcement expands the reach of the FAO's AIM4Forests program by integrating new research teams into the global monitoring ecosystem. The initiative reflects a growing shift toward supporting localized, tech-driven solutions for large-scale forest conservation.
These projects will implement new digital tools for forest monitoring, which may impact how regions like Bangladesh and Uganda manage their natural resources. These innovations represent a practical shift in the methods used to track environmental disturbances in local communities.
The takeaway
Supporting youth-led research through international grants is a key strategy for addressing complex environmental challenges. Implementing digital decision-support tools can significantly enhance the accuracy and speed of forest restoration efforts worldwide.
Further reading
For more on international agricultural standards and research, visit the Organic Food section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Timberbiz.
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