Connecting youth-led digital solutions to FAO programmes

An online session at the AGRF 2020, Monday 7 September 2020.

This session aims to offer an exchange/matchmaking opportunity between FAO technical staff in charge of agri-food sector programmes in Africa and the youth offering digital solutions for transforming the agrifood sector. CTA representatives will also be key discussants during the session and the interactions will be open to all Generation Africa Members Group participants as well as other participants committed to Youth in Agriculture.

Outcomes

• Strong awareness and understanding of FAO programmes and projects in Africa;
• Strong awareness and understanding of youth-led digital innovations for food systems in Africa;
• Partnership intentions;
• Initial proposals for collaboration, to be further concretized;
• Solid network of FAO and its partners (particularly the youth) in digital agriculture in Africa;

Key Messages & Talking Points

• Young people seek profitable, prestigious, and exciting career paths that will enable them to support themselves and their families.
• ICTs offer one pathway by which young people can have successful and exciting careers in agriculture, and FAO — in partnership with governments, non-profits, and the private sector — can play a critical role in facilitating this pathway.
• Technologies can help demonstrate to youth how agriculture can be a viable and profitable business opportunity, increasing the desirably of agriculture-related career paths, in lieu of alternatives that youth might otherwise be seeking.
• Digital agricultural solutions are now offering a range of important opportunities to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that the world is currently facing, on agricultural production, labor availability, input supply, and logistics.
• FAO and partners need to strengthen efforts in further promoting youth-led digital solutions for transforming agri-food systems in Africa.

AGRF Overview & Main Theme

This year’s AGRF key theme is ‘Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent: Leveraging Urban Food Markets to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems.’

Session Format and Speakers

Two sequences:

• The first is a plenary session with opening remarks and introductory presentations followed by an interactive Q&A session (01h15min)
• The second is a matchmaking session in the form of 6-10 break-away bilateral discussions (30min)

Moderator: Mr. Dickson Naftali, Head of Generation Africa

Sequence 1 – Opening, introductory presentations

1. Mr. Ade Freeman, Regional Programme Leader, FAO/Regional Office for Africa

2. Mr. Tony Nsanganira, Youth Employment Specialist, FAO/Regional Office for Africa

3. Mr. Ken Lohento, Senior Programme Coordinator, Youth Agripreneurship - ICT4Ag, CTA

Sequence 2 – Matchmaking session (break-away bilateral discussions)

This will be an interaction between selected young innovators and FAO technical professionals on potential areas for collaboration and partnership. As a result of the discussions, it is expected that some concrete follow-up actions would be agreed upon.