Spirit Newsletter nº23 / October 2017

A team of scientists has developed a mobile phone application which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately identify crop diseases in the field. The app also delivers the latest advice to manage all major diseases and pests that affect root, tuber and banana crops, and helps farmers identify the nearest agricultural extension support for the farmers. The project which is being implemented by a global network of scientists is part of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research’s (CGIAR) research programme on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB).

The newly signed deal between the International Potato Centre (CIP) and BlackPace Africa Group to advance potato production in Africa, including Rwanda, is a timely intervention that will help improve production, farmers have said. Commenting on the agreement that was signed last week, Jean Damascene Ntawushobora, the president of Irish Potato Farmers’ Union (IABINYA) in Nyabihu District, said farmers still need high yield varieties that are suitable for the different soil types across the country. “We are planting Irish potato varieties developed by former Agricultural Research Centre while others are imported from neighbouring countries such as Uganda and DR Congo. Therefore, any research and initiatives that focus on improving potato varieties is welcome,” he told The New Times in a telephone interview on Monday.

As international development groups continue to aid nations in the African continent, economic and political stability has been easier to achieve. With this stability being realized, a new shift in focus towards sustainability seems to be transpiring. So far, this sustainability has centered around farming. Farming throughout Africa is widely considered to be the next logical frontier as sustainable development continues in the continent. Fortunately, throughout the continent, there is an abundance of natural resources which have yet to be fully taken advantage of. 

The 5th EU-Africa Summit is scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on 28-29 November 2017. The central theme for the Summit will be 'Youth', which has become a key priority for Europe as well as Africa, in a context of African demographic trends creating major challenges for young people in terms of migration, security and employment.

The Summit is supported by the Maltese Presidency who notes that it “will present an excellent opportunity to further strengthen [Ivory Coast and Europe’s] partnership to address common challenges and opportunities.”

The 6th EU-Africa Business Forum will be held on 27 November 2017 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, host country of the 5th African Union-European Union Summit of Heads of State and Government.

The 6th EU-Africa Business Forum in Abidjan concludes a series of business-related events held in Africa and Europe in the course of 2017 in preparation to the 5th African Union-European Union Summit.

At the 6th EU-Africa Business Forum, business leaders from Africa and Europe will have the opportunity to raise their voice and convey their vision to political leaders of both continents.

The “Symposium on Climate Change and Droughts Resilience in Africa” is being organized by Strathmore University in Kenya, the Research and Transfer Centre “Applications of Life Sciences” of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) and the International Climate Change Information Programme (ICCIP). The Symposium will be a truly interdisciplinary event, mobilizing aid workers, donors, scholars, social movements, practitioners and members of governmental and non-governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing projects focusing on drought prevention, management and resilience in Africa.