The FAO headquarters in Rome was this morning abuzz with delegates and participants to the much anticipated International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers , which runs from the 21st to the 23rd of November 2018. The theme of this symposium is ‘unlocking the potential of agricultural innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals ”. This theme was chosen amidst the global challenges facing the world which have affected the sustainability of food and agricultural systems, affecting livelihoods of millions of family farmers worldwide. Hence, innovation is the...
In 2018, FAO launched multiple open innovation challenge to find high-potential digital solutions to address challenges faced by food and agriculture and improve livelihoods. Participants benefited from the specific know-how and skill sets of FAO and private sector experts in IT development, food and agriculture, business model canvas and pitching, culminating in a final pitch sessions and awards for the most innovative, scalable, impactful and financially sustainable start-ups or solutions. From 19-20 August, 24 entrepreneurs, 8 teams across 7 countries in Africa came together in Kigali,...
Science and technology are transforming society and expanding the frontier of possibility. The field of biodiversity conservation can and should capitalize on the opportunities that emerging innovative solutions and technologies present. This side event will feature the UN Biodiversity Lab and...
On Monday 19 November 2018, FAO is organizing a workshop on “ The development of a national e-agriculture strategy for Armeni a” within the framework of the EU-funded FAO project “ ENPARD Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia ”. The workshop will provide the opportunity to understand how Armenia can develop its national e-agriculture strategy. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have long been recognized as key enablers for bridging the digital divide and achieving the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth,...
The High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation has announced a call for contributions where they are seeking inputs from individuals, government, academic/research groups and various stakeholders to supply contributions that are to inform its deliberations and development of actionable recommendations for the report. Submissions should reflect one or the following aspects of digital cooperation:- what values and principles should underpin cooperation in the digital realm; how can stakeholders cooperate more effectively in the digital realm, including how can marginalized stakeholders be included...
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Member States have approved at new resolution that consolidate ITU’s mandate on matters relating to digital financial inclusion , reports ITU . The except of the news can be read below “Two billion adults worldwide do not have a bank account, but among them, 1.6 billion have a mobile phone. Developing countries are capitalizing on the widespread use of mobile phones and information and communication technologies (ICTs) to bring all people within reach of financial services and out of poverty. Digital financial services show great potential to...
The WSIS Prize 2019 is calling for submissions from interested and qualifying projects. The deadline for the submission is the 30th of November 2018. The submissions can be made in English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French and Russian. To submit your project click here . WSIS Prizes is a unique international contest developed in response to requests from the WSIS stakeholders to create an effective mechanism to evaluate and recognize individuals, governments, civil society, local, regional and international agencies, research institutions and private-sector companies for outstanding success...
e-Agriculture caught up with the new YPARD Director Mr. Yemi Adeyeye and interviewed him on a number of issues affecting the youth in agriculture and especially in Africa. e-Agriculture: Congratulations for the appointment to Director YPARD,could you briefly introduce yourself? Yemi : First, many thanks for granting me this interview opportunity. My name is Yemi Adeyeye, a Nigerian national. My education and professional background focus on partnership relations and multi-stakeholder engagement in resources governance in the context of forest and agricultural landscapes with a keen emphasis...
ICT 2018 will take place in Vienna on 4-6 December 2018. This research and innovation event will focus on the European Union’s priorities in the digital transformation of society and industry. It will present an opportunity for the people involved in this transformation to share their experience...
The online e-consultation on Youth employment in agriculture as a solid solution to ending hunger and poverty in Africa was held on the 16th of July to the 10th of August 2018 on the FAO FSN Forum. The e-consultation took four weeks and saw participants from 33 countries who shared 90 contributions. This e-consultation was organized to gather views of youths (especially those who could not attend) the 20-21 August regional conference whose theme was “ Youth Employment in Agriculture as a Solid Solution to Ending Hunger and Poverty in Africa: Engaging through Information and Communication...