High-level workshop on Technologies for the Transformation of African Agriculture
The agriculture sector in Africa is evolving, and many technologies are emerging to drive agricultural transformation in the region. It is in this context that a high-level workshop on Technologies for the Transformation of African Agriculture was recently held. This event, organized by the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI) in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), aimed to present the vision and missions of the AALI, as well as to identify the needs and challenges related to the development of a robust and efficient seed sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The representative of the Minister of Agriculture underlined the importance of quality seeds in the transformation of Congolese agriculture. He expressed his support for this workshop, hoping that relevant recommendations could be made to improve the Congolese seed system. Indeed, the seed sector plays a crucial role in increasing agricultural productivity and the country’s competitiveness internationally.
The workshop also focused on the regulation of the seed sector in the DRC. Despite the existence of a seed bill submitted to parliament since 2016, it has not yet been voted on and promulgated. This represents a brake on the country’s competitiveness and its ability to take advantage of the opportunities offered by regional and international organizations.
The TAAT (Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation) program was also discussed during this workshop. This program aims to accelerate agricultural transformation in Africa by developing efficient technologies and promoting best practices to increase the productivity of smallholder farmers. Participants discussed opportunities for collaboration between the TAAT program and ongoing agricultural transformation initiatives in the DRC.
The DRC has enormous agricultural potential which, if exploited optimally, could help feed a significant part of the world’s population. However, the country still faces major challenges such as poverty and nutritional deficiencies. The recommendations made during this workshop could potentially contribute to overcoming these challenges and promoting the development of a successful agricultural sector in the DRC.
In conclusion, this high-level workshop on Technologies for the Transformation of African Agriculture helped to highlight the importance of regulating the seed sector in the DRC, as well as the opportunities offered by new technologies to stimulate transformation. agricultural in the country. It now remains to follow the recommendations made during this workshop and implement the necessary actions to improve the Congolese seed system and promote the sustainable development of agriculture in the DRC.