The ICT4Ag Conference focused on smallholder farmers

Co-hosted by the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation ACP-EU (CTA) and the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), the conference was a key milestone in promoting the application of ICTs in the agricultural sector of developing countries, with particular emphasis on inclusive value chains, enabling policies and advancing innovation.

The agenda covered the latest technological trends, the lessons learned from experience, as well as current debates, in a context in which food security is becoming an overriding challenge for governments and citizens alike.

The spotlight will be on smallholder farmers, who represent the majority of farmers in developing countries (more than 60% in Africa) and are discovering a whole range of new opportunities thanks to the Internet, satellite technologies and mobile phones: money transfers, market information, advisory services, weather forecasts, plant health, veterinary services, crop and animal husbandry, data collection, etc.

The conference sessions will be interactive and will address the following major streams: