Mozambican startup wins ‘One to Watch’ award at Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation – Agri View turns maize husks into biodegradable, plantable tableware

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Mozambican startup wins ‘One to Watch’ award at Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation – Agri View turns maize husks into biodegradable, plantable tableware

2:52 CAT | 29 Oct 2025

FILE – Rui Bauhofer receives the ‘One to Watch’ award at the 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation Final, held in Dakar, Senegal, on 16 October 2025. [File photo: Royal Academy of Engineering]

A project by Mozambican start-up Agri View, which transforms maize husks into biodegradable and plantable tableware, has won the “One to Watch” award at the 2025 Africa Innovation in Engineering Awards, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering. This award places Mozambique “on the map of global sustainable innovation”.

Made from maize husk waste sourced from smallholder farmers, the ‘Eco-Plates’ biodegrade naturally when discarded and contain seeds that sprout when planted, transforming a waste product into a non-polluting alternative to plastic, as well as a potential renewable food source, depending on the choice of seeds.

“The award validates the purpose of transforming a bad habit into a positive gesture for the environment, where each biodegradable plate gives rise to a tree and contributes to removing up to 25 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year,” said Joaquim Rebelo, co-founder of the company, quoted in a statement from Agri View.

The project, conceived by Mozambicans Rui Bauhofer and Joaquim Rebelo, aims to replace disposable plastic with tableware made from agricultural waste, in a process that allows the pieces, after use, to decompose and release seeds capable of germinating, creating new plants.

According to the same source, Agri View won the “One to Watch” award from the Africa Prize, the continent’s most prestigious engineering award, recognising innovative and scalable solutions to environmental and social challenges, after a competition involving 30 African countries.

“One to Watch’ prize was awarded to Rui Bauhofer, Mozambique, for his innovation Eco-Plates, chosen by the live audience for their future potential impact. Eco-Plates are disposable plates made from recycled maize husks that are fully biodegradable and infused with seeds that will germinate and grow once discarded,” reads a communique by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

“Kenyan innovator Elly Savatia won the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation for Terp 360, an AI-powered app that translates speech into sign language using 3D avatars, tackling interpreter shortages and improving accessibility in classrooms, workplaces and public services,” the Royal Academy of Engineering announced on 16 October.

Three further finalists – Vivian Arinaitwe (Uganda) Neo Nest, Frank Owusu (Ghana) Aquamet, and Carol Ofafa (Kenya) E-Safir – each received £10,000, with a £5,000 “One to Watch” [Rui Bauhofer, Mozambique, Eco-Plates] prize also awarded.

Three further finalist – Vivian Arinaitwe (Uganda) Neo Nest, Frank Owusu (Ghana) Aquamet, and Carol Ofafa (Kenya) E-Safir – each received £10,000, with a £5,000 “One to Watch” [ Rui Bauhofer, Mozambique, Eco-Plates] prize also awarded.

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The idea for Agri View was born in 2022 when Rui Bauhofer noticed, while buying corn from a street vendor, the piles of maize husks discarded (and typically burned as waste in Mozambique), as well as the discarded plastic at the side of the road. This sparked the idea for Eco-Plates.

He noticed that the maize husks were impermeable, so able to hold liquid, just like the pineapple leaves used to create eco-friendly tableware in Central America.

Rui teamed up with co-founder Joaquim Rebelo to start Agri View, to develop products from recycled maize husks, and turn this waste product into a biodegradable alternative to plastic.

“We believe we are the first ones making biodegradable plates using maize husks. We saw the potential in an abundant and otherwise wasted product to generate new life for smallholder farmers who have lost their livelihoods after devastating floods,” said Bauhofer, quoted in a note from the Royal Academy of Engineering. “Once used for serving food, our Eco-Plates can be safely discarded and germinate into a food crop to help replace what has been lost,” recalling that cyclones Idai and Kenneth destroyed more than 780,000 hectares of agricultural crops in the country.

Still in the testing stages of development, the Eco-Plate production process begins with collecting discarded maize husks from local smallholder farmers. This generates an extra source of income for them. The husks are then cleaned and dried to approximately 10–12% moisture to prevent microbial degradation. They are ground into fine fibrous particles, which are boiled with water and soda ash to break down lignocellulosic structures. Finally, they are mixed with starch-based biodegradable binders to form a pulp with approximately 60% moisture. This is compression-moulded in preheated aluminium moulds to activate the binders and solidify the structure. Seeds are embedded between pulp layers to avoid heat damage, and the moulded plates are then sundried for 2–4 hours to ensure stability while preserving seed germination potential.

The seeds used in the plates are chosen for heat resistance, germination potential, and fast growth, with common options including basil, coriander, lettuce, and tomatoes. The plates fully biodegrade in 3–6 weeks, and when disposed of in soil, embedded seeds sprout within 7–20 days. The plates will only biodegrade in certain conditions such as soil or consistent moisture, not while stored or in use.

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The project prototype was handcrafted by the creators, who now plan to use the prize money to acquire industrial machinery, allowing them to scale up production. The goal is to take the product to European, Asian, and American markets, as well as expand their presence in Africa.

According to the founders, the initiative also has a direct economic impact on rural areas, allowing farmers to recover between 10% and 20% of the value lost in harvest. “Once used for serving food, our Eco-Plates can be safely discarded and germinate into a food crop to help replace what has been lost.”

He noticed that the maize husks were impermeable, able to hold liquid, just like the pineapple leaves used to create eco-friendly tableware in Central America.

Rui teamed up with co-founder Joaquim Rebelo to start Agri View, to develop products from recycled maize husks, and turn this waste product into a biodegradable alternative to plastic.

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Made from maize husk waste sourced from smallholder farmers, the plates biodegrade naturally when thrown away and contain seeds that sprout when planted, transforming a waste product into a non-polluting alternative to plastic, as well as a potential renewable food source, depending on the choice of seeds.

“This award represents international recognition of the work we have been developing over the last three years, thus validating the potential and ingenuity of national innovations. We are putting Mozambique on the map of innovation for climate resilience in Africa and the world,” Bauhofer said.

Agriview, created in 2021, is a Mozambican start-up dedicated to the circular economy and environmental sustainability, developing biodegradable and germinable products from agricultural waste. The project aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and promotes the reduction of plastic pollution and the preservation of the environment.

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, launched in 2014 by the Royal Academy of Engineering in London, is considered the largest prize dedicated to engineering in Africa, reinforcing the role of innovation in improving the quality of life and economic development of sub-Saharan Africa.