A new high iron bean variety developed in Guatemala, the new use of Blockchain technology in the coffee value chain in Ethiopia, hydroponics to increase food security in a Sahrawi refugee community in Algeria or the latest app developed to fight plant pests, will all be featured among many other success stories of agricultural innovation. This is what the Innovation Fair of the International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers will look like celebrating that family farmers have been innovators since the beginning of agriculture.

The Fair wants to illustrate what is agricultural innovation, explore how and why agricultural innovation happens and benefits family farmers, and increase the understanding of innovation in agriculture and its key role to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

For that purpose, the Fair will showcase examples where agricultural innovations were directly applied by family farmers themselves or where they were the indirect beneficiaries of a successful innovation.

All in all, 20 excellent worldwide examples that will help understand the key drivers that lead to successful innovation, without neglecting the obstacles and challenges that had to be faced and overcome before the innovations were brought into use.

These success stories also illustrate how agricultural innovation is a complex process where multiple actors play different roles and they give an overview of agricultural innovation worldwide across the different agricultural sectors. And last but not least, they will show that innovation is much more than technology.

Presenters

Each story has a dedicated space and a presenter who has been involved first hand in the Innovation. They will be available from 12.30 to 14.00 on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 to discuss in an informal way about success stories of agricultural innovation with all participants attending the Innovation Fair.

Launch

Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, Climate and Natural Resources, will launch the Innovation Fair on Wednesday 21 November at 12.30. “This is a selection of success stories of agricultural innovation from all over the world which encompasses and captures a broad range of innovations that are being used in the different agricultural sectors,” she explains.

Speakers’ corner

The Innovation Fair will also count with a Speakers’ corner for FAO’s work on agricultural innovation. FAO staff will present their work in innovation with a different speaker and topic every 15 minutes during the Innovation Fair time slot.