PARM Stories Challenge for African Journalists 2023

Smallholder farmers face multiple risks daily, yet they produce one-third of the world’s food. Building their resilience is key to food security and the improvement of the livelihoods of these farming champions.

After the success of PARM Art Challenge, the Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) is launching the global campaign “PARM Stories Challenge” with media professionals, as part of the celebration of the #WorldFoodDay and the International #RuralWomenDay.

The challenge consists in producing a high-quality video story that portrays rural farmers’ self-resilience to agricultural risks and showcases how this could be strengthened in order to increase their productivity and sustainable agri-food systems, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals 1, 2, 5, and 15.

The challenge is organized in partnership with Africa 21, a network bringing together around 700 African journalists from 40 countries with expertise in development topics and a platform for exchange between media practitioners and researchers. Created in 2011, the network works for a better understanding of sustainable development in Africa, in particular from the angle of the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

About PARM

PARM is the global partnership on agricultural risk management for development. Established in 2013 as an outcome of G20 discussions, the Platform has the mandate to promote sustainable agricultural growth, boost rural investment, reduce food insecurity, and improve resilience to climate and market risks of rural households through a better management of risks. PARM is hosted and co-funded by the International Fund for the Development of Agriculture (IFAD) and supported by the Development French Agency (AFD), the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the European Commission ...... read more

PARM Stories Challenge

Aim and Benefits of PARM Stories Challenge

The jury will pre-select 10 finalists from which the 3 best video story producers will be selected at the end of the deliberations as the final winners of the competition. The final winners will be ranked from 1st to 3rd place.

The 10 finalists will be rewarded as follows:

• The first winning video producer will visit one or more PARM/IFAD operational countries to gain direct experience of the projects and activities of the United Nations in agricultural risk management and will be able to produce an additional video with PARM/IFAD direct beneficiaries.
• The next two winning video producers along with the first-place winner will participate in an international conference to present their videos which will also be promoted across PARM, FARM-D, and Africa 21 institutional platforms.
• The last seven finalists will receive certificates of participation which recognize them as finalists of an international challenge and will have their names and profiles featured in the challenge communication materials.

Requirements for PARM Stories Challenge Qualification

To enter the competition,you must fill the following criteria:

• Be a journalist or a media professional (including freelance) specialized or generalist, interested in agricultural issues in the African continent;
• Be proficient in English or French;
• Be available to travel in any African country for a field mission or an international event.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit PARM website