Alex Rose-Innes
The need for innovation, in an effort to rid the world from malnutrition and hunger, is now more necessary than ever.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) had stepped up its support, in particular within the agricultural industry to promote rural growth and provide sustainable incomes to Africa’s poor communities.
As innovation is needed throughout the entire value chain, the FAO had recently partnered with nine pilot African countries to construct and implement ideas for agricultural innovation. Strategies such as increased mechanisation across forestry, fishery and livestock industries had been developed with the aim of addressing climate change and finding sustainable ways of feeding the more than 30 million Africans living below the breadline.
Innovation is seen as key to unlocking and driving socio-economic growth and assisting Sustainable Development Goals. The FAO is also supporting partnering governments to open up additional markets to small-scale farmers, co-operatives in rural communities and local organisations.
With the expertise of the FAO driving agricultural innovation for family farmers, more than 500 participants from 92 countries across the world attended a recent symposium to harness the power of digital technology. Recognising the increasingly important role of family farmers in innovative design, plans are already being implemented by representatives to transform digital solutions through education.
Expertise is provided by key role-players to drive and accelerate innovative ideas. Frontier technologies, tools to empower rural households and the empowerment of young entrepreneurs across the nutrition and food supply chains, are lauded as the future of food and agriculture.
The main drivers to end, not only African soil, but global hunger, include education to drive digital innovation from concept stage to implementation, establishing new business models and establish laboratories, incubators and partnering with the public and private sector.
Scientists, researchers and civil societies had already taken hands to find innovative farming solutions to existing challenges in an effort to reduce poverty, end hunger and mitigate pests and diseases. By increasing digital literacy and services, innovation would without a doubt improve resilience and livelihoods.
