Presentationof ARDYIS activities

by Ken Lohento, ICT Programme Coordinator, CTA

Johannesburg, 20 May 2012

CTA : Who we are• 50 staff from 27 countries• CTA is a joint institution of the

ACP and the EU (Cotonou Agreement).

26 years of commitment to advancing agriculture and rural communities in ACP

• 26 years of commitment to advancing agriculture and rural communities in ACP

• Key role for partners

CTA’s Mission

• To advance food and nutritional security increase prosperity encourage sound natural resource management

• via providing access to information and knowledge, facilitating policy dialogue and strengthening the capacity of agricultural and rural development

institutions and communities in ACP countries

Strategic Goals

• To support well informed, inclusive agricultural policy processes and strategies that empower smallholder producers, women and youth

• To promote the development of priority value chains, especially for smallholder producers

• To strengthen the information, communication and knowledge management capacities of institutions and networks : ICT

The CTA ICT Programme

Strategy goal 3 (IC-T, KM) themes & activities

Increased focus on electronic content generation Promoting and supporting use of innovative ICT

tools and approaches Building skills of ACP partners Promoting information, communication and

knowledge management policies & strategies

CTA all goals cross-cutting theme : Youth and Gender

ICTs : huge opportunities for agricultural value chains

• Market information service (MIS) provides price information and a virtual marketplace for buyers and sellers of agricultural commodities (Esoko, RESIMAO)

• Every 10 percentage-point increase in high-speed Internet connections there is an increase in economic growth of 1.3 percentage points (World Bank).

• Growth is linked to ICTs in developing countries (except in countries with restricted telecoms) UNCTAD 2011 crowd-sourcing for pest

control (e.g. PestNet, Pacific)

mobile financial services (M-PESA, Kenya)

Capacity building across ACP

Focussing on youth and ARDYIS Project

Who are youth?For the United Nations, youth are understood as people aged between 15 and 24

In recognition of the age range where life transitions take place, the African Union has adopted a broader definition of youth that encompasses individualsaged between 15 and 35. (in the African Youth Charter)

Taking into account young farmers issues and economic challenged by ACP youth, CTA has so far considered as Youth people aged between 15 and 35 years, like in the African Youth Charter

Some data on youth

72% of the youth population (UN definition) live with less than $2 a day (ILO 2006)

More than 20% of youth in Africa have between 15 to 24

In 2005, 62% of Africa’s overall population fell below the age of 25 (World Bank 2008) – if we consider the youth age limit up to 35, this statistic is higer

The 2009 ILO report on « Global Employment Trends » notes that the vulnerable employment rate in Sub-Saharan Africa was 74.7% in 2007

• Agriculture (30% to 50% of ACP GDP for many economies), needs youth Surveys among CaFAN farmers’ organizations across the region indicate

that the average age of farmers are increasing and in most cases above 45 years old, the majority being over 60 years” (Jethro Greene, CAFAN)

• Youth needs agriculture Agriculture is in many ACP country the main job provider Agriculture related job are diverse, from to production to

commercialisation, to provision of services, etc.

• CTA new strategy states that: CTA will continue to support activities that encourage youth in ACP

countries to consider agriculture as a viable career path.

Who are youth?For the United Nations, youth are understood as people aged between 15 and 24

In recognition of the age range where life transitions take place, the African Union has adopted a broader definition of youth that encompasses individualsaged between 15 and 35. (in the African Youth Charter)

Taking into account young farmers issues and economic challenged by ACP youth, CTA has so far considered as Youth people aged between 15 and 35 years, like in the African Youth Charter

Some data on youth

72% of the youth population (UN definition) live with less than $2 a day (ILO 2006)

More than 20% of youth in Africa have between 15 to 24

In 2005, 62% of Africa’s overall population fell below the age of 25 (World Bank 2008) – if we consider the youth age limit up to 35, this statistic is higer

The 2009 ILO report on « Global Employment Trends » notes that the vulnerable employment rate in Sub-Saharan Africa was 74.7% in 2007

• ARDYIS project• Developing youth in agriculture policies

(FANRPAN project; SPC in the Pacific)

• Encouraging young scientists/professionals in agriculture

• Supporting youth in various activities• CTA covered the attendance of many youths to conferences : Ex;

African Young Scientists Initiative on Climate Change and Indigenous Knowledge (AYSICC) conference organized by NEPAD

• Young farmers are part of targets of various CTA supported projects• Youths form an important part of beneficiaries of CTA Web 2.0• Etc.

CTA Youth initiatives

Promoting opportunities for youth in agriculture and ICTs

Agriculture, Youth and ICTs• “We recommend that our skills to learn new

technologies are properly valued, particularly in using ICTs” – Declaration of rural youths participating during the IFAD Farmers’ Forum, 18 February 2012, (Italy)

• “There is considerable scope for encouraging youth participation in ICT as a way of supporting agricultural business ventures” (dixit PafPNET/SPC)

• Youth spearhead innovation in Agriculture and ICTs

ARDYIS – launched in 2010

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Strengthen capacities on ICTs for ARD Contribute to sensitising on Agriculture and RD issuesTarget audience

young farmers students in agricultural training courses all interested youth

Partners

Yam PukriSPCCAFAN

ARD and Youth in the Information Society

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Dissemination of information: (opportunities, etc.) and discussions (Facebook page, website, dedicated mailing lists) +700 facebook members Training Web 2.0 training for ARD for 25 selected youth from ACP regions and Consultation on youth, ICT and agriculture (future)

Key Achievements

Facilitation of the production of an advocacy document calling for stronger support for youth involvement in

agriculture and ICT

6 key recommendations addressed to policy makers and ACP/EU/international institutionsEndorsed and promoted by partner organizations and youthsPromoted to key people/organizations (on going) Full title cited on hundred of web pages/sites (En/Fr)Consulted 4600+ times on Ardyis website

Achievements

Achievements

About 3000 comments/and votes!

Others : In 2010: essay competition : about 180 entries; 2011 : NEPAD and CTA essay

Production of a publication “Emerging Voices in ICT and Agriculture”Supported youth participation in Ag and ICT conferences (IAALD, water management, etc.)Some youth found job opportunities

Achievements

Future• Proper CTA Youth strategy development• Supporting youth project• Focus on:

Improving youth opportunties in rural areas using ICT

Using ICT to enhance youth involvement in agriculture

Thank you