The next Brussels Policy Briefing no. 45 on “Affordable smart farming solutions for Africa: the next driver for African agriculture” is co-organized by CTA, the ACP Secretariat, the European Commission (DG DEVCO), Concord, CEMA, PAFO and Agricord.

This event will bring together African farmers, ag machinery company representatives with field experience, as well as experts from International Insitutions committed in enhancing sustainable farming systems in Africa.

The Brussels Briefing programme will put the focus on:

• How affordable & smart technology solutions are gaining ground among African growers.
• What changes & benefits IT tools can bring for farming communities in Africa.
• Successful public-private partnerships that are helping in advancing agricultural strategies in the ACP countries.

For online registration, click here.

Programme

8h00-8h45  Registration

9h00-9h15 Introduction and Opening of the Briefing

Isolina Boto, Manager, CTA Brussels Office
Introductory remarks: Patrick Gomes, Secretary-General, ACP Secretariat; Director-General, Director, Europeaid, European Commission; Ulrich Adam, Secretary General, CEMA; Kees Blokland, Director, Agriterra, PAFO President; Michael Hailu Director of CTA

9h15-11h00 Panel 1: Setting the scene: Drivers of smart-farming in Africa

This panel will discuss the available tools and approached in support of smart-farming which can benefit the smallholders. It will also discuss public-private partnerships (PPPs) and multi-stakeholder alliances that aim at accelerating investments and transformative change in African agriculture.

Panelists:

• Smart-farming: trends and new opportunities benefiting small-holders – Josef Kienzle, Leader, Mechanization team, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
• Connecting your farm: the future of precision farming for farmers – Advanced Technology Solutions AGCO Corporation (AGCO)
• Financing African agriculture and agribusiness development – Thomas Duve, Director, KfW Bankengruppe
• Smart farming: a priority for farmers in Africa – Theo de Jager, President, Panafrican Farmers Organisation (PAFO)

11h00-11h15 Coffee break

11h15-13h00 Panel 2: Scaling up successes in smart farming

This panel will look at specific examples of successful smart-farming applications at various levels.
It will also show smart inclusive and sustainable PPPs.

Panelists:

• PPPs: Upscaling agribusiness successes in Africa – Stephen Muchiri, CEO, Eastern African Farmers Federation, Kenya
• Proven successful smart-farming technologies : the case of Potato initiative Africa – Frank Nordmann, Grimme
• Empowering women and youth through capacity building – Eric Kaduru, KadAfrica, Uganda
• Pooling forces: Machinery rings and cooperatives – Andreas Hastedt, Board member, German Association of Machinery Rings

Conclusion
Networking Lunch