His Holiness Pope Francis met ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao on September 1st, 2017, in the office of His Holiness for a private meeting on the global importance of bridging the digital divide. Vatican City has been a member of ITU since 1929 and has been an active participant in ITU processes ever since. During the meeting, Secretary-General Zhao shared with His Holiness ITU's commitment in the development of Information and Communivcation Technologies (ICTs) to support the world's poorest, in particular those who remain unconnected, which is almost half of the world's population. His...
The US Embassy in Nepal organized a ‘Farm to Table’ event on August 29th to identify opportunities to maximize the market potential of Nepal’s agricultural sector. The conference brought together agro-entrepreneurs, buyers, suppliers, financial service providers, and farmers from Nepal and the United States. The main discussion of this round-table was based on finding innovative ways to improve efficiency and maximize productivity in Nepali agriculture. One of the main recommendations was to improve value chains by investing in ICTs connecting farmers to knowledge, market information and...
Mapping crop land is essential for farmers, as rely heavily on it for planning and management. UAS offer a great possibility for farmers as they can map large parts of land with low costs and easy transportation. Geographic Information System (GIS) maps can used both online and offline providing important information for farmers to plan irrigation design, check plant health and even monitor livestock. According to this CTA article, despite the indeniable benefits from using UAS in agriculture, South Africa has one of the most restrictive regulations in the world for commercial use, including...
M & E, Data Management & Analysis in Food Security & Nutrition Programmes Course Date 09th – 13th October 2017 Location Nairobi, Kenya Description The demand for data on impact of policies, programmes and interventions on food and nutrition security is rapidly growing. Both governments...
African Green Revolution Forum 2017 Date 4th - 8th September, 2017 Location Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire Description The African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) is a platform for global and African leaders to develop actionable plans that will move African agriculture forward. Established in 2010, the...
Livelihoods Asia Summit 2017 Date December 13 and 14, 2017 Location New Delhi, India Description Now in its 7th year of execution, the Livelihoods Asia Summit 2017 learning will be held in New Delhi between December 13 and 14, 2017. This is a unique platform established to facilitate south south...
FHI 360 , a nonprofit human development organization based in North Carolina, U.S., is looking for an ICT for Agriculture Consultant in Ghana. The consultant will conduct meetings with stakeholders in Accra and conduct focus groups and design sessions with potential user groups in the surrounding area. The consultant should: Identify points of public and private sector collaboration and integration where possible; Confirm the appropriate end-users and digital channels available to them; Conduct focus groups with identified end users to confirm specifications; and Define roles and...
Webinar: Engaging African youth in agribusiness in a changing climate Date Wed, Aug 30, 2017 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CEST Description This webinar is a culmination of a month long online discussion organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), CGIAR...
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) launched a report titled, ‘Fast-forward progress: Leveraging tech to achieve the Global Goals" that shares perspectives from 20 UN heads on how Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are critical for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report presents five key findings and recommendations: No one must remain offline ICTs are an accelerator for innovation and change ICTs must support human needs during crises ICT-enabled services must reach the poorest and most marginalized New, innovative and multi-stakeholder partnerships...
Cost-sharing initiative for the set-up of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) services for agriculture in six ACP countries Text taken from CTA website Background Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)—or drones—allow capturing and analysis of agricultural data at high spatial resolution, including status of the land, crops and farm infrastructure contributing to more effective management. UAS operators are typically young entrepreneurs who invest in the equipment, learn the skills to use it, help analyse the data and interpret the findings for the benefit of farmers, their clients. Such services can help...
M & E, Data Management & Analysis in Food Security & Nutrition Programmes Course Date 09th – 13th October 2017 Location Nairobi, Kenya Description The demand for data on impact of policies, programmes and interventions on food and nutrition security is rapidly growing. Both governments...