Event News

Winners announced for Women in Ag Award 2024

The focus is on special achievements for the development of local, national and international agriculture. (Image source: DLG)

Chosen from 107 candidates from 34 countries, the DLG (German Agricultural Society) and Women in Ag Magazine recently announced the winners of this year's 'Women in Ag Award'

The award honors candidates in four categories namely, 'Agriculture', 'Agribusiness', 'Education' and 'Technology and Research' each with first, second and third place. Focussed on recognising the work of women in the agricultural sector, the award ceremony will be held on 13 November at EuroTier 2024.

The award winners were selected from 107 candidates from 34 countries by an international jury of representatives from agricultural practice, science, organisations and the media. The focus is on special achievements for the development of local, national and international agriculture.

The award winners by category include:

Category: Agribusiness

1st Place: Doreen Jean Nsasiirwe - An experienced agriculture professional dedicated to improving health and conserving the environment by offering natural, nutritious, and sustainable health products.
2nd Place: Susan Waithira Kuria - Seasoned entrepreneur who is also the co-founder and managing director of Essential Drugs Ltd, who has a great passion for advancing the livestock sector through innovation and modern technology.
3rd Place: Neamat ElTazi - Co-founder and COO of PoultrySync, Egypt, along with her co-founders developed a technical solution for the poultry industry that enhances flock performance and efficiency, resulting in notable improvements in operations and profitability.

Category: Agriculture

1st Place: Jana Gäbert - A farmer and scientist in leadership roles who promotes unconventional conventional agriculture, bridging science and practice to address climate change while focusing on biodiversity, sustainability, and innovation.
2nd Place: Caroline Jaspart - Owner of a farm in Belgium who was appointed president of the Union des Agricultrices Wallonnes. She represent the voice of women farmers in various places and carries out projects on the status of women and well-being in the workplace. Her quest is to show that the female farmer is an entrepreneur just like any other.
3rd Place: Judith Bakirya - Managing director of Busaino Herbs and Fruits (BusHFruit), Busoga, an AgroEcology farm who works with small garden owners who are the neighbours, and are both in-growers of nuts, beans, soya and vegetables in the fruit farm and out-growers of avocado and jackfruit.

Category: Education

1st Place: Rosinah Mbenya - A professional environmentalist who serves as the country coordinator for PELUM Kenya. She has accumulated expertise in development projects, particularly in agroecology, climate change, market development, advocacy, capacity building, and networking.
2nd Place: Christine Jodloman - A dedicated agriculture advocate from a family of farmers in the Philippines who has co-created and reached more than 40,000 farmers in the Philippines and in ASEAN region.
3rd Place: Helen Louton - A leading academic in animal welfare with a particular focus on poultry husbandry and management who is also a professor of Animal Health and Welfare at the University of Rostock, Germany. She has positively contributed to the training of individuals in agriculture, scientific research and agricultural practice in addition to setting new standards in poultry welfare.

Category: Technology and Research

1st Place: Annika Behler - An agricultural scientist at the Institute of Agricultural and Urban Ecological Projects (IASP), Germany, who aims to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact in farming.
1st Place: Katharina Berse - A project manager for strategic agricultural research at Evonik Creavis, Germany with she and her team developing a solution to stabilise Gram-negative bacteria in liquid formulations, promoting more sustainable agriculture. In addition to her work, Katharina Berse also runs a farm with her husband, focusing on both crops and livestock.
2nd Place: Lisbeth Henricksen - As a visionary thinker and the director of Innovation at SEGES Innovation, she is responsible for developing and innovating new knowledge, tools, and products for farmers across all primary production sectors, including dairy, pigs, arable farming, climate and sustainability, economics, and management.
3rd Place: LaKisha Odom - She works at the intersection of sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in agriculture, focusing on innovative solutions for sustainable food production and economic viability for producers. At the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), she leads DEI efforts and research programmes that support regenerative farming, healthier food access, and diverse farmer adoption of sustainable practices.

EIMA announces groundbreaking 2024 event

In addition to being a boundless showcase of innovations, EIMA is a system designed to support the business of companies, and match supply and demand on a global level. (Image source: EIMA)

The Bologna event aims to support operators in their business activities and to offer a global panorama of supply and demand for new technologies

EIMA is a formidable agricultural technologies exhibition, where all the new products and prototypes and the most technologically advanced solutions to meet the production needs of every agricultural model are promoted. These are the credentials of the international exhibition organised by FederUnacoma during the conference held at the headquarters of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) in Rome.

The 2024 event – which will be held at the Bologna Exhibition Centre from 6-10 November – will feature participation by 1,700 industries, who will exhibit latest-generation machinery and cutting-edge technological solutions. In addition to being a boundless showcase of innovations, EIMA is a system designed to support the business of companies, and match supply and demand on a global level. Economic operators, agricultural entrepreneurs and agro-mechanical technicians are able to find computer support in five languages, interpretation services and contractual assistance at EIMA.

The themes that will be addressed over the five days of the event in topic-specific meetings are also international in scope, including those relating to the global crisis of water resources, the cultivation of marginal territories and extreme areas of the planet, and the creation of the free trade area on the African continent, for which an important Forum has been dedicated.

Overall, EIMA 2024 will host no fewer than 150 conventions, conferences and workshops, to offer updates on technologies and policies for agriculture and agro-mechanics, divided by product sector and organised partly within the five thematic EIMA Salons: 'Components', 'Energy', 'Green', 'Hydrotech' and 'Digital'.

“Among the thematic areas, EIMA Campus will have particular importance this year dedicated to universities, research and training, which includes a programme of initiatives coordinated by the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering (AIIA) with the presence of 11 universities,” said the director of FederUnacoma, Simona Rapastella. “Within this context, a space dedicated to the AFI Academy is planned the advanced training school established by FederUnacoma, which will begin its activity in January 2025 and also offer courses in trade fair management.”

VIV Africa 2024 officially comes to an end

VIV Africa 2024 has solidified its position as a premier event in Africa’s and VIV Worldwide’s agri-food calendar. (Image source: VIV Africa)

VIV Africa 2024 has officially concluded after three days of connecting agricultural, poultry, and dairy professionals from across the continent

Featuring 40 specialised sessions, practical workshops and networking opportunities, VIV Africa which was hosted at the Kigali Convention Centre from 2-3 October successfully concluded after seeing a record-breaking attendance and engagement.

The event which underscored its growing significance as a key platform for advancing the future of African animal protein production, brought together industry professionals, thought leaders, local youth and innovators to exchange knowledge, build partnerships, and showcase the latest trends and developments in animal husbandry and agricultural scene.

The Leadership Conference which preceded on 1 October was a major highlight of this year’s programme, featuring presentations from over 50 thought leaders and facilitated important discussions on issues such as global expertise and local practice, investment opportunities, and sustainable solutions in future trends.

Keynote speakers which included international experts, from organisations such as the Traide Foundation and the World Poultry Science Association, among others, provided crucial insights into both the current state and future outlook of the African agricultural landscape, helping set strategic directions for industry attendees.

Innovation was at the heart of VIV Africa 2024, with a special spotlight on new technologies and startup ecosystems designed to address the unique challenges facing African farmers. Youth engagement in the poultry sector was strongly reinforced as well, with a session discussing how to overcome challenges and unlock opportunities as well as how to obtain technical skills and ultimately secure success in the industry. The session was followed by a guided tour along the entire industry value chain within the exhibition and concluded with a networking lunch.

An impressive 80% of exhibitors already confirmed their interest in participating at the next edition of VIV Africa in 2026, highlighting the confidence in the event’s ability to drive the industry in the region and generate opportunities for growth.

Plans for VIV Africa 2026 are already underway, as it is set to take place in Kigali, 7-8 October 2026, with the promise of even greater engagement and further opportunities in the agricultural business and beyond.

MOCCAE and COP28 host joint event at UNGA

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and COP28 co-hosted an event entitled ‘Advancing Climate Action through Sustainable Agriculture and Resilient Food Systems’ during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on 22 September 2024. (Image source: MOCCAE))

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and COP28 co-hosted an event entitled ‘Advancing Climate Action through Sustainable Agriculture and Resilient Food Systems’ during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on 22 September 2024

During the opening of the event, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak began with a keynote speech highlighting the importance of sustainable food systems in the global climate agenda and how the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action, which was launched last year at COP28, has raised global ambition on this.

This event provided a platform for United Nations Member States and other stakeholders to share actions they have taken in their own national contexts to enhance their agriculture and food systems in light of climate change. It also offered an opportunity to share their perspectives on potential deliverables at COP29 and related fora. Stakeholders highlighted key agriculture, food, and climate milestones that are crucial for maintaining momentum from COP28 to COP29 and COP30.

Moreover, the event placed special emphasis on Member States’ thinking around the role of agriculture and food systems in the next round of NDCs, NAPs, and NBSAPs, and how to accelerate all forms of finance to support this critical part of our climate transition.

“The UAE is committed to championing food systems innovations that are good for both people and planet, and the partnership on agricultural innovation that we co-launched with the Gates Foundation at COP28 is focused precisely on this objective," said Head of International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, CEO of 2PointZero, Mariam Almheiri. "We are proud to be the first donor country from the MENA region to join the CGIAR's System Council, and in the coming years, we plan to work closely with the CGIAR and all of our global partners to develop and scale promising innovations that can help smallholder farmers improve their livelihoods in the face of climate change."

Minister John Steenhuisen attends G7 Agriculture Forum for Africa

Minister Steenhuisen will be conducting bilaterals with his Italian counterpart, Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen attended the G7 Agriculture Forum for Africa from 26-27 September

The two-day forum mainly focused on strengthening cooperation between the G7 countries and Africa in the agricultural sector and agriculture investments in Africa. This aligns with one of Minister Steenhuisen's key priorities which is to widen existing trade and cooperation markets and open new ones for South African agricultural products.

Minister Steenhuisen will be conducting bilaterals with his Italian counterpart, Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, where they hope to conclude a memorandum of understanding between the republic of South Africa and the Italian government on cooperation in the field of agriculture and rural development.

In addition, bilaterals were arranged with the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the International Fund of Agriculture Development (IFAD). These bilaterals are aimed at securing cooperation, funding and support for the South African agricultural sector.

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