IESC Announces Linowitz Commendation for Innovation, Technology, and Digital Development Winner, T-FAST

The Sol Linowitz Commendation for Innovation, Technology, and Digital Development was established in 2024 to honor one of IESC’s founders, Sol Linowitz, and IESC’s transformational impact in innovation, technology, and digital development. Among many accomplishments, Sol Linowitz helped found Xerox Corporation and served as chair of its board. Xerox, through its technologically groundbreaking Xerox machines, transformed access to information and how people work, growing to become one of the most valuable and impactful American companies of its era. Innovation, technology, and digital development—in both the private and public sectors—are core to IESC’s work in catalyzing private sector growth and employment in the economically developing world. As such, this commendation recognizes an IESC intervention centered upon innovation, technology, and digital development that had, or will have the greatest demonstrated transformational impact.

The first recipient of the award is the USDA Food for Progress-funded Trade Facilitating Agricultural Systems and Technology project (T-FAST). By digitizing and streamlining the regulatory body charged with overseeing food safety in Paraguay, T-FAST helped increase the competitiveness of Paraguay’s food and trade industry.

In collaboration with five major trade associations, T-FAST moved Paraguay’s National Institute of Food and Nutrition from a months-long, paper-based process to a new management information technology system. The intervention drastically shortened the average time needed to register new products from 135 days to 25 days, saving the Paraguayan food and trade industry more than $2 million per year. Local food producers can now register their products more easily, allowing for quicker sales and distribution. This opens opportunities for them to grow their businesses large enough to export to lucrative markets at competitive prices. In addition, consumers gain access to a greater variety of imported goods at a lower cost. “Shortened processing times and enhanced efficiency contribute to trade facilitation and, in turn, improve food security within our country,” says National Institute of Food and Nutrition Director General Elsi Ovelar.

The initiative paved the way for digital transformations in other public institutions supported by T-FAST, including the National Directorate of Health Surveillance and the National Quality and Plant and Seed Health Service. These interventions will help other trade-related services beyond T-FAST.