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Under the theme "Agricultural resilience through innovation", the event brought together more than 500 delegates, including policy makers, industry leaders, representatives of women's and young farmers' organizations, innovators and researchers.
On Tuesday, the first African Conference of Agricultural Technology, which aims to promote the adoption and use of biotechnology in African agriculture for food security, opened in Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
Cohosted by Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), the four-day conference showcases agricultural technologies and innovations that can transform livelihoods in Africa.
The event, held under the theme of "Agricultural Resilience Through Innovation," brought together more than 500 delegates, including policymakers, industry leaders, representatives of women and youth farmers' organizations, innovators, and researchers.
Greater adoption and use of agricultural technologies are key to boosting food and nutrition security in the continent, Mithika Linturi, Kenya's cabinet secretary for agriculture and livestock development, said on behalf of Kenyan President William Ruto in his address to the conference.
As the African Conference of Agricultural Technology #ACAT commences, @The_AATI is looking forward to engaging discussions on science, technology, and innovation (STI) to foster agricultural transformation on the continent. #TransformingAgriculture pic.twitter.com/m7F9YPoCXg
— African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (@The_AATI) October 31, 2023
Furthermore, he stated that climate change poses a serious threat to food security, adding that rising temperatures, frequent droughts, and floods have devastated crops. This has led to food shortages and pushed the most vulnerable into poverty, hence the need to effectively apply science, technology and innovations in agriculture.
Canisius Kanangire, the executive director of AATF, said the journey toward revolutionizing agriculture in Africa through technology adoption is a collective endeavor, guided by a shared vision and purpose.
According to Kanangire, African countries should knock off policy and regulatory barriers that have derailed the optimal uptake of agricultural technologies and innovations.
Kanangire also said that the conference offers a platform for key stakeholders to explore new approaches to promote the seamless adoption of innovations that can transform farming systems at the smallholder level.
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