ICTforAg is an annual convening where agrifood system stakeholders, technology experts, and enthusiasts gather to share knowledge, find solutions, and form partnerships to address challenges in agrifood systems across low and middle-income countries.
The goal was to grow communities and catalyze meaningful conversations, insights, and collaborations and increase the participation of global South participants, strengthen knowledge sharing and shared learning, and inspire practitioners to develop inclusive and sustainable ICT solutions.
The outcomes: (a) Local digital ecosystems (e.g., policymakers, investors, service providers, practitioners, and users) are strengthened to invest and deliver impactful, inclusive, and sustainable ICTforAg solutions. (b) New innovative ICTforAg projects and collaborative partnerships are developed. (c) Small-scale producers benefit from more localized, gender-responsive, and affordable ICT services becoming available in the local digital ecosystem.
All recordings are available when registering here
Extracts of the programme Kenya
28/05 Leveraging ICT to Empower Smallholder Farmers in the Global Carbon Market (AgriLedger)
This session unveiled a transformative approach that utilizes digital certificates to authenticate and trace carbon credits, aligning with global compliance and sustainability standards. By harnessing the power of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), including the Internet of Things (IoT), this solution not only simplifies the carbon credit market for smallholders but also ensures their invaluable environmental contributions are accurately represented and rewarded.
29/05 ICTforAg Nairobi: Inaugural Session
- Setting the context - Ram Dhulipala, ILRI
- Opening address - Dr. Ian Wright, DDG, ILRI
- Opening address - Dr. Eliud Kiplimo Kireger, DG, KALRO
- Perspectives from World Bank and Kenya Digital Ecosystem - Dr. Boniface Akuku, World Bank
- Keynote address: Financing digital innovations in agriculture - Ms. Brenda Gunde, IFAD
29/05 ICTforAg Nairobi: It takes a digital village to offer smallholders’ localized content and personalized services to increase their productivity and resilience
- The current landscape for Agtechs, Research and other organizations that and how they are leveraging collaborations and digital technologies to help small-scale farmers boost their yields and resilience.
- Strategies to enhance digital tools that focus on inclusivity, particularly for female farmers, and promote climate-smart practices.
- Introduction to application of AI for agriculture through existing chatbots on price discovery and marketsAn interactive discussion with panelists and the audience to evaluate what's effective and what isn't in the current approaches.
Speakers:
- Grace Njoroge (see picture) Technical Director- Programs, Mercy Corps AgriFin
- Ritika Sood Partnerships Lead, Sprout- Mercy Corps Agrifin
- Shryans Goyal Product Lead, Sukhiba
- Collins Marita Technical Director Strategic Learning, Mercy Corps AgriFIn
- Rhoda Maina (see picture) Technical Gender Specialist , Independent consultant
- Mathews Ogolla Customer Success Lead, Agribora Kenya
29/05 ICTforAg Nairobi: Data-Driven Agricultural Innovation
- Talk 1: Transforming Agriculture Service Delivery Through Data: Insights from Malawi - Harold Mac-Saidu (Tony Blair Institute for Global Change)\
- Talk 2: Navigating the Data Landscape for Maximum Impact in Agriculture projects - Henry Mibei (CABI)
- Talk 3: The Digital Confusion: data and data management for agriculture made easy - Alexander Valeton (Yielder)
- Talk 4: Data-Driven Agricultural Innovation Challenges: EUDR compliance from farm to ship - Jan Willem Van Casteren (eProd Solutions)
29/05 ICTforAg Nairobi: Frontier Technologies in Food Systems
- Talk 1: Promoting Nature-based Solutions through interactive radio programming in rural Sub-Saharan Africa - Gertrude Nalubinga (Farm Radio International)
- Talk 2: Enhancing Africa’s Agriculture and Food systems through responsible and gender inclusive AI innovation: Lessons learned from AI4AFS Innovation Research Network in Sub-Saharan Africa - Joel Nwakaire (African Technology Policy)
- Talk 3: AI-powered solutions for integrated pest, disease, and invasive weed management in agriculture - Violet Ochieng (CABI)
- Talk 4: There is Power in the Block - Emeka Nwachinemere (Kitovu Technology Company)
29/05 ICTforAg Nairobi: Influencing farmers ability to use digital product/ service offerings to farmers
- Talk 1: Introduction on the session - Nixon Gecheo (AGRA)
- Talk 2: Learnings from Busara’s research on uptake to Farmerline Services in Ghana - Qureish Noordin (AGRA)
- Talk 3: Enhancing Agricultural Productivity and Resilience through Improved Weather Forecast Access: Insights from the AGRA Kaduna Consortium - Assan Ngombe (AGRA)
29/05 ICTforAg Nairobi: Towards Digital Inclusion in Rural Transformation
- Talk 1: Bridging digital divides to eliminate digital inequalities and fostering inclusive rural digital development - Huda Alsashi (FAO)
- Talk 2: The vital role of private sector in driving digital transformation: A localization perspective - Shikoh Gitau (Qhala)
- Talk 3: Reaching out to farmers and catalyzing digital transformative changes within the agricultural sector - Beryl Agengo (Digital Green)
- Talk 4: Practices and insights to improve digital inclusion in rural transformation: A FAO perspective - Jun He (FAO)
30/05 ICTforAg Nairobi: Experiences from ILRI
- Talk 1: Digital platforms for genetic gains in smallholder livestock systems - Julie Ojango
- Talk 2: ICT for One Health - Hung Nguyen
- Talk 3: Machine learning approaches for spatio- temporal modelling of Rift Valley Fever in Kenya - Bernard Bett
- Talk 4: Citizen Science for monitoring the health and well-being of rangelands and pastoral communities - Kelvin Shikuku
- Talk 5: Application of satellite imagery for livestock and pastoral systems - Ambica Paliwal
29/05 ICTforAg Nairobi - Collaborative Insights from Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)
30/05 Harnessing Digital Technologies for Emergency Preparedness & Response to Food Crise
The session explored how FAO is supporting countries to use digital tools to address the continent’s multifaceted challenges, and how development stakeholders may better exploit these tools to help enhance emergency preparedness and resilience for farmers and rural communities. Participants were guided through several project examples including the new project Leveraging Digital Systems for Emergency Preparedness and Response to Food Crises (EmergenSys), and the project Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Response to Food Crisis (SEPAREF), both implemented by the FAO Regional Office for Africa.
In collaboration with partners such as the African Development Bank and the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture), cutting-edge practices implemented in Somalia, South Sudan, the Democtratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Comoros were discussed.
- Aloys Nizigiyimana, Deputy Representative, FAO Madagascar, Comores, Mauritius & Seychelles
- Ken Lohento, Digital Agriculture Specialist, FAO Regional Office for Africa
- Abeshaw Gebru, Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer, FAO Regional Office for Africa
- Kiprotich Chemweno, Head of Information & Systems Management & Digital Innovation, FAO Somalia
- Maurice Nyombe, National Project Officer, FAO South Sudan
- Anton Eitzinger, Thematic Leader, Digital Climate Action, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
Extracts of the programme India
29/05 ICTforAg New Delhi: Cultivating Connections between Farmers and Scientists
Nagesh Kumar Behera
Youth Farmer , Farming
Youth Farmer , Farming
Rashmita Patra
Harekrushna Baral
Small holder farmer
Small holder farmer
Sangram Keshri Patra
Progressive Farmer
Progressive Farmer
Shailender Kumar Raghuvanshi
Large-holding farmer
Large-holding farmer
Padmaja Ravula
Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender and Nutrition Research, ICRISAT
Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender and Nutrition Research, ICRISAT
ICRISAT
Proloy Deb
Postdoctoral Fellow - Water Management, International Rice Research Institute
Roopa H S
Lead- Agriculture Research and consulting, Grameen Foundation India
Utkarsh Sharma
Product Marketing Consultant - ESG head, Vlinder Labs
Shalini Gakhar
Data Scientist: Interoperability and Data Science Life Cycle, International Rice Research Institute
Preeti Bharti
Associate scientist-Agricultural Research and Development , IRRI
Dr B. L. Sarswat
Senior Technical Consultant (Agri./ Horti.), National Rainfed Area Authority, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI
What?
Engage and Explore: Tea Table Talk
?
Nagesh Kumar Behera
Youth Farmer , Farming
Rashmita Patra
Harekrushna Baral
Small holder farmer
Sangram Keshri Patra
Progressive Farmer
Shailender Kumar Raghuvanshi
Large-holding farmer
Padmaja Ravula
Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender and Nutrition Research, ICRISAT
Proloy Deb
Postdoctoral Fellow - Water Management, International Rice Research Institute
Roopa H S
Lead- Agriculture Research and consulting, Grameen Foundation India
Utkarsh Sharma
Product Marketing Consultant - ESG head, Vlinder Labs
Shalini Gakhar
Data Scientist: Interoperability and Data Science Life Cycle, International Rice Research Institute
Preeti Bharti
Associate scientist-Agricultural Research and Development , IRRI
Dr B. L. Sarswat
Senior Technical Consultant (Agri./ Horti.), National Rainfed Area Authority, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI
What?
Engage and Explore: Tea Table Talk
?
Nagesh Kumar Behera
Youth Farmer , Farming
Rashmita Patra
Harekrushna Baral
Small holder farmer
Sangram Keshri Patra
Progressive Farmer
Shailender Kumar Raghuvanshi
Large-holding farmer
Padmaja Ravula
Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender and Nutrition Research, ICRISAT
Proloy Deb
Postdoctoral Fellow - Water Management, International Rice Research Institute
Roopa H S
Lead- Agriculture Research and consulting, Grameen Foundation India
Utkarsh Sharma
Product Marketing Consultant - ESG head, Vlinder Labs
Shalini Gakhar
Data Scientist: Interoperability and Data Science Life Cycle, International Rice Research Institute
Preeti Bharti
Associate scientist-Agricultural Research and Development , IRRI
Dr B. L. Sarswat
Senior Technical Consultant (Agri./ Horti.), National Rainfed Area Authority, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI
What?
Engage and Explore: Tea Table Talk
29/05 ICTforAg New Delhi: Opening Program
Sheetal Sharma
Senior Scientist, IRRI
Senior Scientist, IRRI
Anil Rai
Assistant Director General (ICT), Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Assistant Director General (ICT), Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh
Director and Vice Chancellor, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Director and Vice Chancellor, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Yvonne Pinto
Director General, International Rice Research Institute
Director General, International Rice Research Institute
Mangi Lal Jat
Global Research Program Director - Resilient Farm and Food Systems, ICRISAT
Global Research Program Director - Resilient Farm and Food Systems, ICRISAT
Varun Kashyap
Co-founder & CEO, LetsEndorse Development
Co-founder & CEO, LetsEndorse Development
Srikanth Rupavatharam
Head - Innovations Hub & Senior Scientist, ICRISAT
Head - Innovations Hub & Senior Scientist, ICRISAT
Shalini Gakhar
Data Scientist: Interoperability and Data Science Life Cycle, International Rice Research Institute
Data Scientist: Interoperability and Data Science Life Cycle, International Rice Research Institute
28/05 ICTforAg New Delhi: Digital platform for Agricultural Transformation
MILI DUBEY
DIRECTOR, PHD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
DIRECTOR, PHD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Ronali Pradhan
Associate Director , Digital Green
Associate Director , Digital Green
Sachin Hegdekudgi
CEO , RootsGoods Pvt Ltd
CEO , RootsGoods Pvt Ltd
Venu Margam
VP Agri Engagement, Kalgudi Digital
VP Agri Engagement, Kalgudi Digital
Srikanth Rupavatharam
Head - Innovations Hub & Senior Scientist, ICRISAT
Head - Innovations Hub & Senior Scientist, ICRISAT
30/05 Towards Sustainable Agriculture
This session presented an app that was co-created with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) India that aims to reduce residue burning amongst farmers in India. A pilot was conducted in Punjab, one of the places in India where crop burning is pervasive. This session also presents a farming recommendation app for farmers. This helps farmers adjust to climate change by providing them recommendations sent via SMS that are based on hyperlocal weather forecasts, soil data and agronomy. The pilot was conducted in Malawi amongst groundnuts farmers. This uses an incentive system to encourage farmers to use technology in making farming decisions. Finally, a weather trigger platform will also be discussed which provides recommendations at scale.
- Rhia Trogo-Pantola Associate Partner, Sustainability, Weather and Climate Center of Competency Solution Delivery Lead, IBM