Launching of ARDNA at the inauguration of SIAM 2014 - Award for best innovation

On the occasion of the inauguration of the 9^th Moroccan International Agricultural Fair (SIAM) held in Meknes on 24 April 2014, Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco kick-started the virtual network for knowledge exchange and communication among actors of the agricultural innovation system named as ARDNA. He was accompanied by the Malaysian and Guinean Presidents, FAO Director-General, the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries of Morocco, as well as several other ministers and personalities. At the end of the SIAM 2014, ARDNA was awarded the prize for the best innovation of the 2014 agricultural exhibition.

ARDNA was initiated under the leadership of Morocco's Minister of Agriculture, Mr Aziz Akhannouch, to improve communication and strengthen support to men and women farmers in the framework of the ‘Plan Maroc Vert’, Pillar II, targeting smallholders. As other innovative projects undertaken by FAO in collaboration with Morocco, ARDNA will be made available to other African countries under the framework of the South-South Cooperation Agreement signed by FAO and Morocco. 

ARDNA was developed using the model of the Web platform ‘Virtual Extension and Research Communication Network’ (VERCON). VERCON is a tool for sharing knowledge and creating linkages and partnerships among different stakeholders, such as smallholder producers and their organizations, advisory services, research and training institutes and other knowledge institutions.