The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) have published a new book on the application of Blockchain in the Agri-food industry. The publication comes after the spread of Blockchains application in a number of industries and sectors. Distributed ledger Technologies (DLTs) are poised to transform the global food industry and also the humanitarian work in food and agriculture. Some low hanging gains on the use of blockchain technology are efficiency gains along value chains, and improving trust, transparency and...
Free online e-conference on responding to the fall armyworm outbreak in Africa, 22-26 October Two years ago, fall armyworm (FAW) arrived in Africa. What we have learned so far? What are effective strategies in reaching farmers across the continent? How effective have responses so far been? What are...
Did you know that you can blog on e-Agriculture? Why not share your opinions and experiences in the use of Information Communication and Technology issues in agriculture? The e-Agriculture blog has the following objectives ;- Raise awareness of Information Communication and Technology (ICTs) issues in agriculture see the e-Agriculture themes of topics already covered already in e-Agriculture; Collect news and stories from the e-Agriculture Community on various projects they are working on related to ICTs in Agriculture; Provide space for third party content by registered e-Agriculture members...
The 20th and 21st of August was a hive of activity at the Kigali Conference Centre, where the youth from more than 40 countries, their ministers, government officials and international developmental partners led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations participated in the youth in employment conference. This conference was co-organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (Republic of Rwanda), the Food and Agriculture Organization and the African Union (AU). The conference comes as facts indicate that over 60% of Africa’s estimated 1,2 billion people are...
On 19-20 August 2018, FAO and Rwanda ICT Chamber hosted #HackAgainstHunger/Africa in Kigali, Rwanda to identify and develop youth-led innovative business models and digital services to unlock the largely untapped reservoir of youth employment. The innovation challenge brought together 24 young entrepreneurs from 7 countries of Africa with solid proposals to transform the food and agriculture sector and generate economic growth. The hackathon was a side event of FAO’s Regional Conference on Youth Employment and ICTs in Food and Agriculture as a Solid Solution for Ending Hunger held at the...
Youth Employment in Agriculture as a Solid Solution to ending Hunger and Poverty in Africa conference started on a high note in Kigali, Uganda with key participation from the government of Rwanda, African Union (AU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The conference brings a number of stakeholders with an interest in creating employment in agriculture and exploring how the ICTs can also be used. The conference is structured with discussions, exhibitions, and hackathons and networking sessions, see the conference page for more information The e-Agriculture, is part of the FAO...
Image credit : FAO/ART Project In Rwanda, one main constraint limiting the development of the potato value chain is related to a lack of reliable information on the prices of potatoes and quantities available in the market which makes forecasting costs of processors difficult, a constraint which is outside the direct control of the firm. Furthermore, the impact of climate change is putting unprecedented stress and threats on the livelihoods of potato farmers in north-western districts of the country. Reducing climatic risks require robust and innovative tools that can help producers and...
The Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAR), the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition initiative (GODAN), the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen in der Landwirtschaft (KTBL) held an e-consultation on ethical, legal and policy aspects of open data affecting smallholder farmers. The forum took place on the e-Agriculture platform from 4th till 8th of June 2018.The purpose of the e-consultation was to solicit views from the community on issues affecting smallholder farmers in developing countries...
BBC news reports that digital technology from apps to blockchain technology are opening new ways for farmers and smallholders to new ways of doing business. The featured article focuses on one farmer, Take Muhammed Adams who is a cocoa farmer attested that technology run by commodities giant Olam has helped him improve his productivity and pest management. The case of Olam is previewed as an avenue for digital initiatives used in agriculture, and they have done so for the past 18 months. Olam apps allow farm products to be tracked from the farm to the markets and allows farmers to check cocoa...
This is a launching ceremony of the Pilot Project on the Use of Drones in Agricultural Development Projects with government officals (Tunisia), African Development Bank and the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation. The pilot project on the use of UAVs in the preparation, supervision and evaluation...
Free online e-conference on responding to the fall armyworm outbreak in Africa, 22-26 October Two years ago, fall armyworm (FAW) arrived in Africa. What we have learned so far? What are effective strategies in reaching farmers across the continent? How effective have responses so far been? What are...
This is a launching ceremony of the Pilot Project on the Use of Drones in Agricultural Development Projects with government officals (Tunisia), African Development Bank and the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation. The pilot project on the use of UAVs in the preparation, supervision and evaluation...