The International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers: Unlocking the potential of agricultural innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

The detailed Symposium programme, including confirmed keynote speakers, panellists and chairs, is now available

24/10/2018

With one month to go for the International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers: Unlocking the potential of agricultural innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most of the programme is finalized.


The programme: Day 1
The 2.5-day programme starts on Wednesday 21 November with the Opening Session. Four interventions are expected, including from the FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva and the Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The Opening will be followed by a Plenary Session to set the scene on the potential of agricultural innovation for family farmers in achieving the SDGs. Four inspiring speakers will give keynote addresses in this session. The launch of the Innovation Fair will close the first morning of the event.
The afternoon session will be dedicated to the Segment I: Sustaining and catalysing innovation. Each segment of the Symposium will be introduced by an inspiring keynote address that will set the tone for the segment. It will be followed by the parallel sessions, which will be centred around some carefully thought questions. Each parallel session will consist of two different panels each with four people. Panellists will come from different world regions and from the realms of governments, private sector, civil society, farmer organizations and academic and research institutions. A chair will introduce the session and summarize it at the end. A professional moderator will moderate the discussions and foster discussion with the audience.
A Plenary Session for reporting by the chairs will follow the parallel sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to ask any clarifying questions and to provide some comments during this reporting session. Day 1 will end with a social mixing event.


Day 2
The morning session will revolve around Segment II: Empowerment for Innovation. In the afternoon, the Symposium will discuss Segment III: How to unlock the potential of innovation. Both sessions will follow the same structure as Segment I of the previous day. A common plenary reporting session for both segment will wrap up Day 2. The Youth Interactive Session will close the second day of the Symposium with the youth having the leading role.


Day 3
The last morning will be dedicated to Segment IV: The Way Ahead, which will build on the two previous days with a plenary session to review the main recommendations and consider the way ahead. This crucial session will be followed by the High-Level Segment of the Symposium, which includes the participation of ministers from different countries, who will have the opportunity to present their perspectives and reflections at the end of the Symposium.


Interpretation and webcast
Interpretation will be provided for all sessions in English, French and Spanish. For the opening morning sessions on 21 November, the high-level segment, and the closing session on 23 November, interpretation will also be provided in Arabic, Chinese and Russian. All sessions will be webcast.

Photograph: ©FAO/Alessia Pierdomenico