Global: Empowering youth and women to transform agri-food systems through digital innovation

The Global Network of Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs hosted an event entitled Empowering Youth and Women in Agrifood Systems through Digital Innovation during the World Food Forum in Rome on 18 October 2023. The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the transformative power of digitalization in agriculture and highlight the achievements of the Global Network of Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs (DAIH) in countries such as Morocco, Ethiopia and Grenada.

With an impressive line-up of speakers, the event served as a catalyst for stimulating discussions on the crucial role of digital innovation in empowering women and youth in the agrifood sector. Vincent Martin, the Director of the Office of Innovation at FAO, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of the Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs in driving change within agrifood systems. Anne-Marie Dias Borges, a BBC journalist from Cape Vert, skilfully took on the role of moderator, warmly welcoming the participants and giving a brief overview of the objectives and format of the session. With this captivating opening, the stage was set for an intense and dynamic event.

Loubna El Mansouri, the Director of the Digital Pole in Morocco, was the first guest speaker presenting on the topic "Empowering Women and Youth through Digitalization in Morocco" El Mansouri provided insights into the role of the Digital Pole in transforming and empowering women and youth in the agrifood sector through digitalization. In her presentation, she shared the success stories and the impact achieved in Morocco.

Henok Laike, Director of Business Development and Innovation Services at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) in Ethiopia, spoke about the journey of digital innovation for young people in Ethiopia" Laike explained the opportunities and benefits that digital innovation brings to women and youth in the agrifood sector. He gave first-hand accounts of people who have turned their ideas into successful start-ups and emphasised the transformative potential of digitalization.

Bevon Chadel Charles, founder of Akta Farms and leader of young farmers from Grenada, rounded off the speakers' presentations by talking about digital solutions to empower youth and women in agriculture Charles shared personal experiences and key success factors. Her presentation showed the positive impact of digital innovation on farming practices and how digitalization can scale up her work and the work of other farmers in Grenada.

To conclude the event, Lauren Philipps, Deputy Director from the Social Protection team at FAO, delivered the closing remarks. In her remarks, Philipps reminded the audience that the digital gap involving young smallholder farmers around the world is still significant and encouraged further collaboration and progress in empowering youth and women in agrifood systems through digital innovation. With engaging speaker presentations, fruitful discussions and an interactive Q&A session, the event fostered a sense of inspiration and collaboration among the participants. The transformative power of digitalization in agriculture was discussed in depth, paving the way for future initiatives, progress and collaboration with the global network of Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs.