Kenya will play host to the inaugural African Conference on Agricultural Technology (ACAT) aimed at enhancing modern techniques in farming to overcome the current challenges facing the sector.
ACAT will serve as the premier platform for advancing African agricultural technology transfer and advocating for the uptake of innovations.
The 2023 Conference will put a spotlight on emerging innovations within the agriculture technology sector.
The conference, which will take place between October 30 to November 3, will bring together government representatives, industry thought leaders, policymakers, technical experts, private institutions, farmers, women and youth across the globe to discuss and define practical actions and solutions to the challenges of technology access.
“As a country, we are pleased to co-host the inaugural ACAT 2023 and are honored to welcome to Nairobi the global, regional and local community to this important forum and look forward to discussing actionable solutions to the challenges facing the sector,” said Kellow Harsama, Kenya’s Agriculture Principal Secretary.
“The conference comes at an opportune time when the continent is struggling to feed its people and climate change is posing serious challenges to our collective prosperity,” he added.
Goodluck Jonathan, former President Federal Republic of Nigeria and AATF Ambassador for Agriculture Technology in Africa (AATF) expressed support for the conference, noting that agriculture plays a pivotal role in Africa’s economic agenda, contributing significantly to employment, food security, and economic growth.
“ACAT will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to “walk the talk” and move beyond discussions about new technologies to embracing and adopting them,” said Dr Jonathan.
The AATF Executive Director, Canisius Kanangire, noted that ACAT will highlight the centrality of STI in fostering agricultural transformation, especially in addressing key challenges facing African farmers.
AATF has dedicated itself to promoting innovative agricultural technology transfers that address farmer productivity constraints, working with partners across the continent to access 24 innovative and cutting-edge agricultural technologies worth over US$650 million spread across 24 countries and reaching 4.8 million smallholder farmers with new interventions in the last five years.