Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI)

27 -28 August 2016. Nairobi. The Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) Summit was held at Kenyatta International Convention Center. The decision to host TICAD VI Summit in Africa was reached during the TICAD V Summit in 2013 when it was agreed that the venue of subsequent TICAD Summits be alternated between Japan and Africa. The interval of summit Meetings was also shortened from every 5 years to three (3) years.

Various side events such as seminars/symposiums, exhibitions and business forum ran immediately before and during the TICAD VI Summit (the pre-events ran 22-25/08). Hereafter are the events related to agriculture:

25th August 2016: Progress and Way Forward of CARD Initiative 
In 2013, Japan committed to supporting African countries with $32 billion aimed at increasing agricultural production and productivity, especially for rice, and empowering farmers including through the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) initiative. Its aim is to double rice production in sub-Saharan Africa between 2008 and 2018 and disseminate the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) a high-yielding hybrid rice. Another example of such cooperation is a closely related five-year $2.5 million project aimed at strengthening agricultural statistics in the CARD countries.

• H.E. Mr. Willy Bett, Honorable Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya 
• Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President/CARD Director, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) 
• Dr. Harold Roy-Macauley, Director General, Africa Rice Center 
• Dr. Chiji Ojukwe, Director for Agriculture and Agroindustry, African Development Bank 
• Mr. Bukar Tijani, Assistant Director General, Regional Coordinator for Africa, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• Dr. Masa Iwanaga, President, JIRCAS 
• Prof. Keijiro Otsuka, Professor, Kobe University, Japan 
• Dr. Yaw Ansu, Chief Economist, African Center for Economic Transformation 
• Dr. Matthew Morell, Director General, IRRI 
• Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director, FARA 
• H.E. Dr. Papa A. Seck, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Equipment, Senegal 
• Mr. Hiroshi Kato, Vice President, JICA

25th August 2016: Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) Approach Workshop

26th August 2016: Agriculture, Rice and Nutrition
26th August 2016: Roles and Challenges of Science and Technology Cooperation in Africa: From Research to Development

26th August 2016: Japan’s Contribution to Capacity Building of Agriculture researchers in Africa – Achievements of OJCB Programmed in Africa and Best practice in MMUST

26th August 2016: Workshop “Forest and Landscape Restoration for Food Security and Resilience to Climate Change”

26th August 2016: Symposium “Nutrition Improvement learning from Japanese Diet
27th August 2016: Action on Nutrition; Launching of IFNA: Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa
The Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa (IFNA) is an ambitious initiative that aims to bring African governments together to swiftly implement food and nutrition security policies and programmes. Period 2016 - 2025

In the selected priority countries in Africa, practical and people-centered nutrition-specific and/or nutrition-sensitive field activities, programmes, plans and policies in food, health, education and other sectors are promoted in a well-balanced manner, so as to produce additive and synergistic effects, as well as in alliance with multiple partners. The activities include technical assistance, grants, soft loans, volunteers, support to civil society organizations (CSOs) etc. in addition to various types of policy implementation by the governments of the selected priority countries themselves. In particular, close alignment with the national policy on food and nutrition security and coordination with other local and international actors are essential.

28th August 2016: Global Launch of the Africa Human Development Report 2016: Accelerating Gender Equality and Women's Development in Africa

29th August 2016: Seminar “Development of Food Value Chain in Africa 2016” 

Related:
The United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) launched a new publication on “Socio-ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) in Africa”.

Produced in collaboration with the University of Tokyo’s Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science (IR3S/UTIAS), this publication considers common issues relating to the status of, trends in, and threats facing Socio-ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) and what needs to be done for their revitalization, conservation and sustainable management. It compiles 12 SEPLS-related case studies from six African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda.

The intended audience for this publication is broad, aimed at anyone interested in sustainable development in Africa and beyond. It will be of particular interest to scholars, policymakers in various government agencies, UN and intergovernmental organizations, natural resource managers, local leaders and practitioners.