An interesting article appeared in The Guardian and reports that Dutch scientists say they can create millions of bee-like drones to take over if the insects die out. This comes at a timely moment when bees and other pollinators are reported to be under threat. In a recent report the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations noted that “present species extinction rates are 100 to 1 000 times higher than normal due to human impacts”. The solution of robotic bees by scientists at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands is an example of using ICTs to tackle world’s...
The GSMA today announced a new Innovative Fund for Rural Connectivity seeking to expand digital inclusion in Ghana and Uganda. The Fund will provide grants up to £300,000 and is open to eligible companies who can deploy solutions in Uganda or Ghana and is implemented in partnership with MTN Uganda and Vodafone Ghana respectively. Projects eligible for funding should employ innovative ways to deploy mobile broadband networks in rural areas with partnerships with a mobile operator and projects should be commercially viable and scalable in similar environments. The Innovation Fund for Rural...
The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit is an international networking and deal-making event for global agribusinesses, solution providers, entrepreneurs and investors. The goal of the summit is to accelerate the commercialization of advanced agricultural technologies by generating global...
As CGIAR holds the Big Data in Agriculture Convention in Kenya this week, the question of data, big data and open data in agriculture is yet again rejuvenated. The link between farming and data has never been stronger than now. There are many efforts driving the data agenda in agriculture, which include FAO , GODAN , CGIAR , USAID programs , and many others. Data-driven agriculture But what is data-driven agriculture? And what does it mean for smallholder farmers? Perhaps the infographic by Grameen Foundation (for USAID Feed the Future) summarizes the issues ( click on image to download )...
The Committee on Agriculture (COAG) is one of FAO’s Governing Bodies established in 1971 and it meets every two years. Its role is providing overall policy and regulatory guidance on issues relating to agriculture, livestock, food safety, nutrition, rural development and natural resource management. The 26th Session runs from 1-5 October 2018 and was opened by the FAO Director General . The details of the current agenda of COAG can be found here . This year’s COAG is running an exhibition that focuses on Innovation for sustainable food and agriculture . The aim of this exhibition is aptly...
The e-Agriculture community is now above 14,000 users . e-Agriculture is a global community of practice, where people from all over the world exchange information, ideas, and resources related to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for sustainable agriculture and rural development. Becoming a member of e-Agriculture Community of Practice provides possibilities to: Connect with other community members and share experiences Follow news and blogs published on the e-Agriculture platform Shar e good practices in the use of ICTs in agriculture Learn about new digital trends...
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and its GODAN Action partners in collaboration with Agricultural Data Interest Group (IGAD) are pleased to announce an Open Data in Agriculture Workshop to be held during International Data Week in Gaborone, Botswana on 6 November 2018. The workshop will be part of a two-day meeting of the Agricultural Data Interest Group (IGAD) at the RDA Pre-Plenary meeting. It will provide an overview of open data in agriculture and nutrition and help participants to make better use or share open data. The workshop will provide users with the...
Land cover changes can impact many areas of life. These changes can affect deforestation, ecological communities, wildfire extent, and urban growth. This advanced series will focus on using satellite imagery to map changes in land cover. Attendees will learn change detection methods, including...
An expert FAO consultation was held in Hungary on the 10th to the 13th of September 2018 on knowledge sharing for agricultural innovations applicable for smallholder and family farmers in Europe and Central Asia. This comes after two major calls for FAO to support Agricultural Innovations Systems (AIS) and develop capacities in Europe and Central Asia. The first was the 39th session of the European Commission of Agriculture (ECA) and the 41st session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe (ERC), which urged FAO to continue its efforts on knowledge sharing on policies and good practices...
From Islamabad : In an effort to identify a roadmap for the national e-agriculture strategy in Pakistan, two day consultation workshop was organized in Islamabad. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) brought together representatives from the ministries of National Food Security and Research, Climate change, provincial departments, National Disaster Management Authority, telecommunication companies and private sector stakeholders engaged in agricultural service development and delivery in Pakistan for...
The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit is an international networking and deal-making event for global agribusinesses, solution providers, entrepreneurs and investors. The goal of the summit is to accelerate the commercialization of advanced agricultural technologies by generating global...
Land cover changes can impact many areas of life. These changes can affect deforestation, ecological communities, wildfire extent, and urban growth. This advanced series will focus on using satellite imagery to map changes in land cover. Attendees will learn change detection methods, including...
