Thursday, 24 March 2016 16:24

Hot topics at YALESI 2016: Youth, entrepreneurship and innovation in agriculture

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Agribusiness and entrepreneurship are two critical areas which have a strong potential to increase employment opportunities for youth and to boost economies in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Similarly, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is modernising the agricultural sector and providing more opportunities for youth. In particular, young farmers who apply ICT tools and skills to their farming businesses generally have higher yields, incomes and social status.

How can these trends be sustained? What inclusive employment strategies can effectively be put in place? How can we bring more youth into agricultural entrepreneurship? These and other questions prioritising young people's needs will be debated at the upcoming Youth Agribusiness, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship Summit on Innovation (YALESI), set to take place in Dakar, Senegal, from 29 until 31 March 2016.
The goal of this biannual Summit organised by the Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Senegalese government and the Arizona State University (ASU), is to build the capacity of youth to fight hunger, create jobs and develop sustainable communities.

As a sponsor and partner of the Summit, CTA will conduct a number of activities.

On the first day of the event, CTA will launch its new publication Innovate for Agriculture: Young ICT Entrepreneurs Overcoming Challenges and Transforming Agriculture. The book, produced in collaboration with Ashoka Youth Venture, features 30 ICT for agriculture services by 30 innovators from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. These innovations cover key value chains segments:  production, access to market, access to finance and consumption. The 90-minute launch workshop will feature some of the young innovators whose stories appear in the publication.
Where and when: Workshop – Breakout Room 1 - 29 March, 14:30–16:00.
Learn more.

The following day, the Senegalese Yeesal Agri Hub, in collaboration with CTA, will organise a workshop on How to launch an Agri Tech Hub and boost agriculture entrepreneurship. The session will focus on sharing the Yeesal Agri Hub experience in Senegal and all the activities and steps necessary to create an agricultural tech hub.
Where and when: Workshop – 30 March, 11:15–12:45.
Learn more.

On the same day, a CTA session titled Accelerating ICT innovations and entrepreneurship in agriculture by youth: What roles for supporting institutions? will explore how key institutions can effectively support e-agriculture innovators in developing countries. A draw will be held and winners will receive hard copies of the Innovate for Agriculture publication.
Where and When: Salle Flamboyant - 30 March, 14:30–16:00.
Learn more.

CTA is also sponsoring the attendance of 19 young innovators and entrepreneurs who are currently seeking to share experiences and network. Among them are participants of the Agrihack programme and beneficiaries of the green jobs grants provided by CTA in the framework of the International Francophone Forum on Youth  FIJEV. CTA will be represented at the event by Ken Lohento, Programme Coordinator for Information and Communication Technologies.
Follow @ctaflash, @ardyis_cta at #YALESI2016 - Get involved in our #entrepreneurship and ICT4Ag activities at this event in Senegal.
For more information on these topics, read our reports ICTs and Youth in Agriculture and Innovative and Inclusive Finance for Youth in Agriculture in Africa.

About YALESI
YALESI will take place at the King Fahd Palace Hotel in Pointe des Almadies, Dakar, Senegal, from 29 until 31 March 2016.
Visit the event's website.
Last modified on Thursday, 24 March 2016 17:58

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