Over 400 Experts To Gather In Nairobi For AgriFin 2024 To Shape Africa’s Farming Future

• Over 400 key players in digital agriculture will gather at the 8th Annual Learning Event (ALE) to explore innovative solutions for Africa's agricultural challenges
• Discussions will focus on leveraging AI and alternative data to enhance the scalability of tech-driven solutions for smallholder farmers and boost agricultural productivity in rural economies
• Participants will explore financing models that can support climate-smart agriculture startups and discuss regulatory enablers to foster a more inclusive digital agricultural ecosystem

Muyela Roberto is a business journalist at TUKO.co.ke with over 9 years of experience in the digital media, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Mercy Corps AgriFin, in collaboration with several strategic partners, is set to host its 8th Annual Learning Event (ALE) in Nairobi on October 15-16.

Unlocking the potential of digital agriculture in Africa

This highly anticipated event, themed “Enabling Rural Economies: Creating Lasting Impact for the Digital Ecosystem in Africa,” will bring together more than 400 key players in the digital agriculture space.

Participants will include digital farmer service providers, government representatives, policymakers, investors, and donors, all seeking to explore innovative solutions for Africa’s agricultural challenges.

The two-day gathering is poised to address critical challenges and immense opportunities faced by startups, small-scale producers, and stakeholders across the continent.

Grace Njoroge, Technical Director-Programs at Mercy Corps AgriFin, emphasized the significance of the event, which will explore the potential of leveraging advanced technologies.

"The 8th AgriFin Learning Event will highlight emerging and promising pathways to drive uptake and enhance the scalability of technology-driven solutions for smallholder farmers’ agriculture in Africa and beyond. It will also explore the potential of leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and alternative data to create lasting impacts on rural economies," she said.

Mercy Corps AgriFin, alongside partners such as FSD Tanzania, Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), FSD Kenya, The World Bank, Farm to Market Alliance, SPARC, IDH, IDEO, and AICCRA, is determined to drive conversations that foster sustainable innovation and growth in Africa's digital agricultural sector.

Over the past few years, Mercy Corps AgriFin and its partners have dedicated themselves to supporting the development of African AgTech, FinTech, and climate-smart digital agricultural services.

However, Africa’s technology startups, their founders, and investors have encountered significant hurdles, with the livelihoods of small-scale producers and the strengthening of rural economies being key areas of concern.

This year's ALE will provide a vital platform for stakeholders to reflect on the lessons learned, share success stories, and chart new paths for the digital agriculture sector.

The event is timely, as the continent continues to navigate complex challenges in the agricultural sector, especially in ensuring food security, climate resilience, and equitable access to markets and technology.

For Mercy Corps AgriFin and its partners, the ALE offers an opportunity for open dialogue focused on identifying the conditions necessary for creating lasting, technology-driven solutions that will enable smallholder farmers and other key actors to thrive in the digital age.

With over 400 participants expected to attend, the 2024 AgriFin Learning Event promises to be a milestone in shaping the future of digital agriculture in Africa.

CEOs, practitioners, small-scale producers, and other industry players will gather to share insights and explore how partnerships and innovations can unlock the full potential of digital agriculture.

The discussions will also focus on regulatory enablers and barriers, seeking to understand how policies can be structured to create a more inclusive and sustainable ecosystem for agricultural transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

How AI and Alternative Data can revolutionise smallholder farming

One of the event’s key focal points will be the role of AI and alternative data in boosting agricultural productivity and resilience.

As digital agriculture tools continue to mature, the discussions at ALE will explore how AI can be leveraged to provide small-scale producers with access to critical information and digital financial services.

The role of public sector data in supporting these efforts will also be a central theme.

Participants will engage in deep discussions about how AI and alternative data sets can be utilised to overcome some of the most pressing challenges faced by African farmers.

In addition, the event will provide a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas on the financing models and strategies necessary to support climate-resilient food systems across the continent.

Another major focus of the ALE will be on financing strategies and how they can support the growth of digital agriculture startups, particularly those working in climate-smart agriculture.

African entrepreneurs continue to face significant obstacles in accessing the resources and capital they need to scale their innovations, and ALE 2024 will provide a space for investors and financial institutions to explore new models for supporting these critical enterprises.

Regulatory policies will also be in the spotlight, as participants discuss how governments and regulatory bodies can create a more enabling environment for startups to thrive.

From addressing data privacy concerns to developing frameworks that encourage sustainable innovation, the ALE will explore how regulation can be both a challenge and a catalyst for growth in Africa’s digital agriculture sector.