IFAD's forty-second session on rural innovation and entrepreneurship

14-15 February 2019. IFAD's forty-second session focused on the theme rural innovation and entrepreneurship. IFAD, with its specialized mandate of enabling rural transformation, has a pivotal role to play in creating the conditions for innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive in rural areas.

Extract of the programme

Centre Stage – IFAD Talk 
Dr Gunhild Stordalen, Executive Chair of the EAT Foundation
Moderator: Ms Katherine Meighan, General Counsel, IFAD

Special event: Access to finance for young people 

• Mr Jim Leandro Cano, Country Representative, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) (Philippines) 
• Ms Annie Nyaga, farmer, agriculture transporter, and the youngest County Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock and Fisheries in Kenya; Co-Director, 4-H Kenya (Kenya) 
• Ms Dalí Nolasco Cruz, Member of the Nahua peoples of Tlaola, Puebla. Director of the Timo’Patla Intercultural Organization A.C. and Mopampa, a network of social and solidarity economy companies of indigenous women (Mexico) 
• Mr Ntiokam Divine, Managing Director, Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network (CSAYN). African Continental Vice-President of Youth in Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture Incubation Network (Cameroon) 
• Moderator: Ms Hlami Ngwenya, Special Facilitator, Emerging Ag Inc.

Empowering social entrepreneurship for inclusive rural transformation 

• Ms Cornelia Richter, Vice-President of IFAD Introductory remarks
  
• Ms Anushka Ratnayake, Founder and CEO, myAgro (Senegal) 
• Mr Dominic Wanjihia, Founder and CEO, Biogas International Limited (Kenya) 
• Mr Nnaemeka C. Ikegwuonu, Founder and CEO, ColdHubs Limited (Nigeria) 
• Ms Dulce Martinez, Creative Director, Fábrica Social (Mexico) 
• Ms Annan El Sherbiny (see picture), Junior Consultant, Yadawee (Egypt) 
• Moderator: Dr Alexander Dale, Senior Officer, Sustainability, MIT Solve (United States)

The future of farming – New technologies to transform smallholder agriculture 

• Keynote speaker: Mr Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance (India) 
• Mr Hamza Rkha Chaham, Managing Director, SOWIT (France) 
• Ms Ingabire Muziga Mammy, Managing Director, Charis Unmanned Aerial Solutions Ltd (CHARIS UAS) (Rwanda) 
• Ms Veronica Barbati, President, Coldiretti Giovani Impresa (Italy) 
• Ms Nicole Nguyen, Head, Asia-Pacific Region (APAC), Infinity Blockchain Ventures (Thailand) 
• Mr Quan Le, Founder and CEO, Binkabi (United Kingdom) 
• Moderator: Mr Guoqi Wu, Associate Vice-President, Corporate Services Department, IFAD

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