The African Conference on Agricultural Technology (ACAT) has commenced in the nation, gathering agricultural experts, policymakers, and practitioners from across the African continent to address emerging challenges within the sector.
Under the coordination of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the ACAT conference is operating under the theme “Agricultural Resilience Through Innovation.” Over the course of the next five days, the conference will focus on the transfer of agricultural technology, showcasing scalable agricultural innovations that have the potential to improve livelihoods in Africa through workshops, plenary sessions, policy discussions, and presentations on relevant issues.
During the conference’s opening, Dr. Canisius Kanagire, the Executive Director of AATF, pointed out that Africa’s growing youth population, which has the potential to revitalize the African economy, remains underutilized in the agricultural sector. He highlighted that the continent’s reluctance to embrace agriculture has led to significant food imports, even though Africa possesses vast arable land.
Dr. Kanagire emphasized the pressing issue of food insecurity, particularly in 22 African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. He noted that dependence on rain-fed agriculture and conventional farming methods is becoming unsustainable due to the impact of climate change, unreliable rainfall, and declining soil quality.
The conference is designed to address these agricultural and food security challenges and provide an opportunity for Africa to rethink ways to enhance agricultural productivity. Dr. Kanagire urged participants to leverage the conference to deliberate on ongoing efforts to transform Africa into a net food producer, especially when the continent continues to grapple with feeding its population.
Acknowledging the need for innovation, Dr. Kanagire emphasized that Africa doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, as transformative agricultural technologies have existed for over a decade. He called for a concerted effort to involve young people in agriculture to boost food production and address the increasing population.
Experts at the conference also highlighted a generational gap in the agriculture sector, with the average age of farmers being 60 years and a lack of interest among young people. This gap has contributed to low food production and increased labor costs.
Sylvester Oikeh, the project manager of the TELA maize project at AATF, explained that the private sector is hesitant to invest in agriculture due to perceived high risks. However, certain private sector players have managed to mitigate these risks, such as Equity Bank in Kenya, which has successfully tailored products for smallholder farmers.
Former Nigerian President and AATF Ambassador for Agricultural Technology in Africa, Goodluck Jonathan, expressed confidence that the forum would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to move beyond discussions about new technologies and actively adopt and embrace them.
The official opening of the forum by President William Ruto is expected to focus on the development and commercialization of agricultural technologies as strategies to enhance food security in the region.