SmartAg Climate Award 2025: Celebrating Leadership in Climate-Smart Agriculture
Agriculture is entering a new era. Across continents, a new generation of thinkers and doers is reimagining how food is grown, processed, and shared. This transformation is not just about adopting new tools, it’s about integrating sustainability, creativity, and community into the future of agriculture.
To strengthen collaboration across our climate-smart agriculture investment ecosystem, responsAbility’s Technical Assistance Facility hosted the first SmartAg Climate Forum in Zurich.
The three-day event brought together leaders from 12 portfolio companies to exchange experiences and co-develop solutions for more resilient food systems. Discussions centered on how to navigate climate shocks, integrate local knowledge, and scale sustainable farming practices.
The Forum also featured the SmartAg Award 2025, recognizing outstanding contributions to climate-smart agriculture.
Recognizing Innovation: The SmartAg Award 2025
The SmartAg Award was established to accelerate innovation in agriculture and food systems. Its mission is to recognize projects that advance sustainability, resilience, and inclusion across the agricultural value chain. By supporting practical solutions with real-world impact, the award encourages progress where environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic viability go hand in hand.
All portfolio companies were provided structured support throughout the process through a concise submission template and 1:1 coaching from a qualified consultant to help design and submit an impactful project. The twelve applicants represented a remarkable diversity of regions and ideas, addressing challenges such as digitization, regenerative agriculture, value chain equity, and food loss. What united these projects was a commitment to quality, impact, and inclusion.
The applicants pitched their projects to a jury of 3 members representing the fund, investment committee and the technical assistance committee, each bringing distinct perspective to the SmartAg Award. After several rounds of deliberation, the jury announced Camimex Group as the first-place winner and Arya Warehousing as the runner up.
Camimex: Scaling Sustainable Aquaculture
In the Mekong Delta, Camimex, winner of the first price, set a new benchmark for sustainable aquaculture. Their approach combines IoT technology with local resources to create scalable wastewater treatment systems that are both environmentally sound and economically viable. Cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, and new livelihoods, Camimex’s model demonstrates how innovation can be grounded and transformative.
“Guided by the award’s criteria and farmer feedback, we prioritized ‘Wastewater Treatment in Industrial Shrimp Farming.’ The award accelerates a scalable model that improves water quality, productivity, and livelihoods—while creating jobs for women and securing a sustainable raw material supply." —Camimex
Arya.ag: Empowering Smallholders Through Digital Innovation
Arya.ag, winner of the second price, is connecting rural India to the digital age. Their women-led hubs are more than just access points for technology—they drive climate-smart agriculture, knowledge-sharing, and opportunity. By linking smallholders to real-time data and practical advice, Arya is making resilience and inclusion a new standard.
“Applying to the award refined our Smart Farm Centre model. The project strengthens our market-led, climate-resilient approach and will fund four new centres in smallholder FPO catchments—promoting sustainable practices and linking farmers to sustainability-focused markets.” — Arya.ag
The process for the SmartAg Award was carefully and thoughtfully crafted. Each company that applied had invested time and resources in developing a plan that would be implemented regardless of the award and one with lasting impact on their community and ecosystem. Being a jury member was both an honor and a responsibility that none of us took lightly, knowing how hard every single participant had worked. The final winners were selected after careful consideration of the award’s criteria and goals, and they are truly deserving of this recognition. All participants were exceptional and left me personally inspired and motivated to continue working together toward a climate-equitable and smart food system!
Suhasini Singh - Head of Sustainable Food Debt at responsAbility
Looking Ahead
The SmartAg Award is more than just a recognition. It marks the beginning of a movement toward more sustainable agriculture. The experiences of Camimex, Arya.ag, and their peers point to a future where agriculture is sustainable, inclusive, and dynamic. Lasting change stems from clear goals, creative solutions, and commitment to the community.