Introduction:

With growing populations of youth in Africa, coupled with the rising age of farmers, FAO and its partners can explore new ways to design and manage its agricultural programs in a way that meets the needs of countries’ shifting demographics. Young people seek profitable, prestigious, and exciting career paths that will enable them to support themselves and their families. Without a clear understanding of how agriculture can provide such a career path, youth are increasingly turning to other options. ICTs offer one pathway by which young people can have successful and exciting careers in agriculture, and FAO — in partnership with governments, nonprofits, and the private sector — can play a critical role in facilitating this pathway.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) including mobile phones and Internet-based digital tools are bringing new vibrancy and potential to agricultural practices in Africa. These tools and approaches can help address a number of challenges to the future of Africa’s food supply, including limited arable land, increased unpredictability of weather patterns, and food losses (both on- and off-farm).

However, leveraging these tools to their fullest potential requires a new set of skills and technical expertise. Young people are often more ready and eager to master these new technologies and apply them to agriculture to increase productivity and solve challenges (World Farmers’ Organization, 2017). At the same time, these technologies can help demonstrate to youth how agriculture can be a viable and profitable business opportunity, increasing the desirably of agriculture-related career paths, in lieu of alternatives youth might otherwise be seeking.

Motivated by the promises of digital tools for the modernisation of the agro-food sector despite their limitations, and by the business opportunities that their use could generate, many young African software developers and entrepreneurs have joined the digital agricultural space. However, most of them are facing serious challenges to grow their businesses and offer sustainable value to the agricultural sector. These young entrepreneurs seem to be confronted not only to difficulties relating to the business environment in which their companies operate, but also to business model challenges.

FAO and its partners seek to create a “Digital Innovation Ecosystem” that brings together experts, young entrepreneurs, public sectors, researches and civil societies to find innovative joint solutions that address the global challenges in the food and agriculture sector. Activities that fall within this ecosystem include opportunities to engage young innovators to develop innovative digital services, development of mobile and web applications, and use of artificial intelligence, blockchain and algorithms.

Programme:

The first activity is a Webinar around the sub-theme: “Responding to Covid-19 in Africa through youth-led digital solutions”.

• Title: Responding to Covid-19 in Africa through youth-led digital solutions

• Data & Time: Wednesday June 03, 2020,  13:00-14:00 Rome time (11.00-12.00 Accra time and 14:00-15:00 Nairobi time) TBC

• Programme/ Agenda:

• Welcome remarks by the Moderator: Mr. Ade Freeman, FAO Regional Programme Leader
• Presentation on: Covid-19 and digital technologies in Agri-Food Systems. How important are they?’’: Director, Information Technology Division (CIO) [10 minutes]

Five Discussants:

1. Mr. Lacina Koné, Director General, Smart Africa - TBC
2. Ms. Rebecca Enonchong, Executive Director, Afrilabs - TBC
3. Development/Resource Partner – funding opportunities for digital innovations
4. Young african innovator contributing to Covid-19 response (Male)
5. Young african innovator contributing to Covid-19 response (Female)

• Questions and Answers (Q&A) Chart Room
• Closing by the Moderator