What is ARDYIS?

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation is a joint international institution of the European Union (EU) and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. Its mission is to advance food and nutritional security, increase prosperity and encourage sound natural resource management in ACP countries. It provides access to information and knowledge, facilitates policy dialogue and strengthens the capacity of agricultural and rural development institutions and communities.

1. Problématique

Pour nourrir une population mondiale croissante, qui devrait atteindre 9 milliards en 2050, la production alimentaire devra augmenter d'au moins 70% (FAO, 2013). Augmenter la production alimentaire et prendre en compte le vieillissement de la population agricole exigent l’engagement accru de jeunes dans le secteur agricole. Ceci  est nécessaire, non seulement pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire, mais également pour soutenir le développement économique des pays dépendant fortement de l’agriculture.

Over 63 percent of the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa live in rural areas where agriculture remains the single largest source of employment and income. The transformation of subsistence agriculture and embarking on an agribusiness development path will drive economic growth, while providing increased employment opportunities and enhanced livelihoods for people living in poverty. Some field-based practical experiences and lessons now show promise for improving the employment opportunities of young people through agribusiness. From the point of view of farmers, producers and other actors in the value chain, there are opportunities to build agribusinesses through skills and training, technology and finance in order to improve productivity and add value to products.

And the winner is… Node420, from Jamaica. The team’s application, also called Node420, offers real-time weather analysis and automatic yield forecasts for farmers. The AgriHack Talent Caribbean contest, organised by CTA and partners, came to a close during the 13th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, held this week in Paramaribo, Suriname. The winning teams designed agricultural apps that can forecast crop yields, improve pest management and put farmers in touch with market outlets.