12 November 2019, Sao Paulo, Brazil – The Brazil Africa Forum officially opened its 7th edition today in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The two-day event is a platform for 300 representatives from governments, private sector, academia, potential investors and other relevant stakeholders to meet and exchange knowledge and experiences. 

This year’s key theme is Food Security: Path to Economic Growth. The aim is to bring together relevant stakeholders to devise operative plans, which are economically feasible and that respect both the environment and are socially fair. Agriculture and rural technology development are key components to achieve these objectives. 

Speaking on a panel on Green Revolution, Agriculture 4.0, Technology, Transformation, Innovation, Training, Mr. Tang Shengyao, Director, Office of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) of FAO, shared his views on how South-South and Triangular Cooperation mechanisms are fundamental to scaling up Agriculture technology.

“South-South and Triangular Cooperation can be a strong tool to provide training and further scaling-up digital agricultural technologies for sustainable development" said FAO’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation Director, Mr. Tang. “By developing and strengthening FAO’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation partnership with state and non-state actors, such as Academia and Research Institutes, we aim to, through SSTC, work together with our partners, hand-in-hand, collaborating in providing training for key stakeholders” he added.  

FAO’s SSTC Gateway is also one example of how technology is helping facilitate knowledge and partnership brokering for SSTC in the agriculture and rural development sector. It encompasses good practices, technical guidance documents, videos from the agriculture and agri-food sector, and an SSTC expertise database, which allows users to submit SSTC-related inquiries. 

Innovative solutions in the South are key for tackling issues of food insecurity, poverty and sustainable agriculture. Providing expertise and sustainable technologies adapted to local conditions, is also key to effective technology transfer. 

Success Story on SSTC technologies and innovations – China-Namibia SSC project:

The China-Namibia SSC project aimed to enhance sustainable agricultural production in Namibia drawing on China’s experience in rice production, soil and pest management, and foxtail millet and horticulture production. The project facilitated the uptake of low-cost innovative technologies (eg. plastic film mulch, solar energy insect killing lighter) in Namibia. Practical hands-on field training by Chinese experts enabled Namibia to increase rice yields significantly (by more than ten percent) largely as a result of the new rice production techniques (e.g. seed treatment, field preparation and mechanical transplantation of seedlings).

Similarly, under the Nigeria-China SSC project, Chinese experts were deployed in various states in Nigeria to share their experience in rice production, aquaculture and others. Introduction of new technologies and practices including the establishment of regular rice nurseries and plant seedlings, application of fertilizer and pest and disease control result.