Hello Tractor…Innovative low cost Smart Tractor.

Small-holder farmers in Nigeria rely on manual labour for their farming activities and this labour which is usually in short supply often leads to under-cultivation, poor harvests and low income. Also the low level of tractor hiring services in Nigeria limits their ability to expand cultivated areas, perform timely farm operations and achieve economy of scale in increasing food production.

SunCulture….transforming agriculture through the power of the sun.

SunCulture is an organization based in Kenya that developed the solar-powered drip irrigation for smallholders to address challenges of unreliable rainfall, high energy prices, and low crop yields.

Kenya has 5.4 million hectares of arable land, but only 17% of this land is suitable for rain-fed agriculture; leaving the remainder in need of irrigation and pumping technology. Relying on the rain, however, limits farmers to only harvesting twice per year but irrigation unlocks the rest of the calendar, giving farmers control over market timing. Petrol, electric, and manual treadle pumps for irrigation are presently available in the Kenyan market, but the effectiveness of these technologies is constrained by high input costs and labor inefficiencies. 

Thought For Food (TFF) Global Challenge 2016/2017

The Thought For Food (TFF) Challenge is dedicated to tackling the global challenge of feeding people through bold, breakthrough solutions and is calling on the world’s best and brightest university students to form teams and develop breakthrough solutions that address this global challenge of feeding 9+ billion people by the year 2050.

TFF challenge aims to catalyze university students from all fields of study to learn more about the complex challenges surrounding food security, and inspire them to channel their passions and creativity towards developing new ideas that make a difference. By participating in the TFF Challenge, you enter into a world in which you can shine. 

You will work with world-class mentors to help turn your idea into a reality. You will have the chance to receive up to $15,000 cash in seed-funding to launch your project, and you may be selected to participate in the TFF Bootcamp, an intense, 10 week startup training which culminates at the TFF Global Summit. You will also join a growing global movement, comprised of friends and supporters who share your passion to make the world a better place.

2017 Mandela Washington Fellowship

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).  

President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, which began in 2014, will bring up to 1000 young leaders to the United States in the summer of 2017 for academic coursework and leadership training and will create unique opportunities in Africa for fellows to put practical new skills to use in leading their organizations, communities, and countries. The Mandela Washington Fellowship includes:

African Economic Conference 2016: “Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth”

Jointly organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Economic Conference (AEC) 2016 will take place in Abuja, Nigeria, from December 5 to 7, 2016 

The theme for the 2016 African Economic Conference (AEC) is "Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth". This theme is timely and in line with the current African and international development agenda. Ending poverty and overcoming hunger and food insecurity permanently come first and second, respectively, in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed in September 2015 by UN member States. This commitment is also stressed by the African Union Agenda 2063 that recognizes the right of all Africans to be well-nourished and lead healthy and productive lives

Policies on food processing necessary to strengthen Africa’s agriculture

The African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Akinwumi Adesina, has addressed the challenge of post-harvest losses in Africa, while outlining the importance of policy regulations to end the losses in a continent that spends US $35 billion on food imports each year. 

“Massive quantities of food crops, fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products go to waste in rural areas, while Africa depends on food imports,” President Adesina said Thursday in his keynote address at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Nairobi.

Pitch AgriHack 2016 for young e-agriculture Start-ups.

Pitch AgriHack! is a new component of the AgriHack Talent program of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA). This first edition (pilot) is implemented in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the support of partners such as CABI DevLab, mLab East Africa, etc. This program aims to accelerate e-agriculture entrepreneurship in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific.

It involves:

• a training session (bootcamp) that will strengthen capacity of the young entrepreneurs
• a pitching competition for participating start-ups and entrepreneurs
• opportunities to consolidate, pilot or upscale their platforms and services through grants or additional incubation or acceleration

UNIDO’s 50th Anniversary Global Start-up Business Plan Competition

Target Group: potential and existing entrepreneur(s), aged between 18-35, with a new business idea or startup in an early stage.

Deadline for submission: 23 September 2016, by 00:00 CET (GMT+1)

The Global Start-up Business Plan Competition (GSBPC) aims to stimulate and unleash the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with ideas that contribute to their personal economic benefit and towards developing their communities.

Help FAO to support access to decent work for rural youth aged 15 to 17

FAO is organizing an expert meeting on 'Youth feeding the future - Addressing the challenges faced by rural youth aged 15 to 17 in preparing for and accessing decent work’, that will take place in Rome/Italy from October 25-28, 2016.

The organizers are looking for rural youth aged 15-17, or older but committed to support this specific age group 15-17: young people, but still under-age.

They are looking for youth having concrete experiences and insights to share on how to engage youth 15-17 to be the drivers of positive agricultural and rural transformations, benefitting also vulnerable people, respecting human dignity and environment.

Australia Awards Africa for Masters and Short Courses 2017

Australia Awards, a cornerstone of the Australian Government’s development assistance program for Africa, provide access to postgraduate education, training and professional development opportunities for suitably qualified Africans from eligible countries. On their return to the workplace, Australia Awards Alumni are expected to contribute actively to development in their home countries.

 Award types include:

• Australian Awards Scholarships, to undertake higher degree studies in Australia at Masters level.
• Australia Awards Short Courses, to undertake short-term, targeted professional training courses, in Australia and/or in Africa, in a range of development-focused sectors.