IFA HACKATHON 2026
Connecting Consumer Nutrition from Plant to Plate
Nutrient Use Efficiency Tracking Hackathon
Develop innovative solutions that track nutrient use efficiency across the entire food chain, from fertilizer application to human nutrition.
The global challenge
Agriculture produces enough food to feed the world. Yet nutrient use efficiency across the food system remains poorly tracked and understood. Today, data across fertilizer production, farming, food processing, and nutrition is fragmented. However, consumers demand more transparency on sustainability and nutrition and farmers lack incentives and tools to track and optimize nutrient use efficiency.
Improving nutrient use efficiency could unlock major benefits:
- Reduce nutrient losses and their related environmental and climate impacts
- Improve nutritional outcomes for consumers
- Create premium markets for sustainable food
- Reward farmers for efficient practices
- Enable powerful data-driven insights across the food system
This is a rapidly emerging innovation area for both fertilizer and food companies, and you can help shape it!
Location & Date
ONLINE Hackathon: 1-7 June 2026
IN-PERSON Hackathon: IFAMA World Conference, Cork, Ireland,
18 & 19 June 2026 (30-hour hackathon)
The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association brings together current and future business, academic, and government leaders along with other industry stakeholders to improve the strategic focus, transparency, and sustainability of the global food and agribusiness system
Organised by the IFA Innovation Hub
Powered by Wageningen University & Research and FarmHack, and hosted during the IFAMA conference
An industry-level initiative
The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) is the only global association for fertilizer, representing over 500 members from more than 80 countries
innovative ideas
About the hackathon
Powered by FarmHack and Wageningen University & Research, this is the first-ever IFA Hackathon, part of the IFA Innovation Hub. Due to overwelming interest, the hackathon is split into two phases. The online hackathon, taking place during 1-7 June, and the in-person hackathon in Cork Ireland (18 – 19 June). Over 30 hours, you will collaborate with:
- Students and young professionals
- Tech entrepreneurs
- Researchers and domain experts
- Representatives from leading agri-food companies
Together, you’ll work on real industry challenges using data, technology, and creativity.
The challenges
Participants will work in teams on 4 targeted challenges, each focused on nutrient use efficiency tracking across agri-food systems. These themes matter because they reflect a real-world transition now underway. Nutrient stewardship is no longer solely a production issue. It is becoming part of a wider conversation about transparency, resilience, sustainability, and value creation across food systems.
1. On-Farm Nutrient Application Data Gaps
o Improving accuracy and consistency of nutrient application data.
o Low-cost mechanisms for real-time or near-real-time reporting.
The first focuses on on-farm nutrient application data gaps, including how to improve the accuracy and consistency of nutrient application data and how to create lower-cost approaches for real-time or near-real-time reporting.
2. Tracking Nutrient Losses and Transformations
o Visibility / data access from fertilizer production to crop uptake to end use.
o Identification of loss points and opportunities to quantify these losses.
The second looks at tracking nutrient losses and transformations, including visibility across the nutrient lifecycle, from manufacturing inputs through crop uptake to end use, focusing on agronomic and environmental flows rather than commercially sensitive production data, and identifying where losses occur and how they might be quantified.
3. Consumer- and Post-Farmgate Nutrient Pathways
The third challenge moves beyond the farm gate to consumer and post-farmgate nutrient pathways, exploring how nutrients move through processing, retail, households, and waste streams.
4. Integration with Existing Digital Traceability Ecosystems
The fourth examines integration with existing digital traceability ecosystems, asking how nutrient information might be layered into systems already used for food safety, carbon tracking, and logistics.
“We have made nutrient use efficiency on the farm a priority. Now, our ambition is going beyond the farm gate. Can you track it from field to fork? Join the hackathon and help uncover the fate of nutrients across agri-food systems”
accelerate research, development and innovation
Teamwork
Participation
Who should join?
We are looking for motivated and creative team players, including:
- Domain experts (nutrient science, agriculture, food systems)
- Data & IT specialists (AI/ML, developers, data scientists, UX/UI designers)
- Business thinkers and innovators
- Students and young professionals
- Curious minds eager to solve real-world problems
You sign up individually, to form teams of 5 to 8 people during the first hours of the event depending on your interest and preference. If you have a question about this, please ask. Visa requirements, travel costs and accommodation are your own responsibility. Places are limited.
Please note, for online-participation the registration is closed. You will be placed on a waiting list. There is still room for particpants who will join in-person in Cork.
Together, you’ll work on real-world challenges using data, technology, and creativity.
What you’ll get
- Hands-on collaboration with industry experts
- Mentorship and business development coaching
- A peer-to-peer learning environment
- The opportunity to build prototypes, insights, and solutions
What’s in it for you?
- A high-quality hackathon experience
- Four focused challenges and dedicated support
- Collaboration with top experts and companies
- Support and access to the IFA network
- The chance to pitch your solution to an expert jury and publicity
“The IFA Hackathon is a perfect extension for those who want to apply their skills from the IFAMA global case study competition into a real-life context, or use the Hackathon as a high-impact entry point into this exciting ecosystem”
helping to feed the world sustainably
PROGRAM
The online event
1 June – 7 June Teamwork!
Monday 1st June – Kickoff video call – (UTC 8:30-9:30)
Tuesday 2nd June – Online team formation in World Cafe – (UTC 13:00-15:00 video call)
Teams work in their own time on the challenges – (Tuesday 2nd June – Sunday 7th June, approx. 20 h)
Friday 5th June – Mid-week cross-track sync – (UTC 13:00-14:00 video call)
Sunday 7th June – Deadline: handing in results
Friday 12th June – Feedback on the results – (UTC 13:00-14:00 video call)
Thursday 18th June – Time to shine! Winners have a video call ‘on stage’ at the Business Forum – (afternoon)
Sneak preview
The program in Ireland
DAY 1 – June 18
Morning
registration
welcome, bonding with online participants
fire starter keynote and challenges
world cafe and team formation
recap & data helpdesk
Evening
Moon light hacking!
DAY 2 – June 19
Morning
breakfast
quick team stand-ups
hacking
Afternoon
lunch
final sprint
deadline and coffee
final pitching time!
jury time and award ceremony
harvest drinks
from plant to plate
Partners
