Published on 20/09/2024
Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) and the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) have announced that Kigali will host the second edition of the African Conference On Agricultural Technology (ACAT) from June 9-13, 2025.
This makes Rwanda the second country, after Kenya, to host ACAT. The conference aims to bring together experts and stakeholders to discuss advancements in agricultural technology.
It will focus on innovative solutions to enhance food security and agricultural productivity across Africa. The event is expected to attract significant international attention and participation.
The Chief Technical Advisor of the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Rwanda, Dr. Alexandre Rutikanga, speaking on behalf of the Minister, Hon. Dr. Ildephonse Musafiri, said, “As a country, we are pleased to co-host the second edition of ACAT 2025 and are honored to welcome the global, regional, and local communities to Kigali for this important forum.
“We look forward to discussing actionable solutions to the challenges facing the agricultural sector, not only in Rwanda but across Africa, to drive change and foster growth.”
“The timing of the conference could not be better, as the continent is struggling to feed its people, and climate change is posing serious challenges to our collective prosperity, a challenge whose solution lies in innovation and technology,” Dr. Rutikanga added.
ACAT is the foremost forum focused on game-changing novel agricultural technologies, ideas, and policies that foster agricultural transformation on the continent.
The conference is an agriculture technology transfer platform that promotes innovative and practical solutions to catalyze more efficient, inclusive, and resilient agriculture in Africa.
It will bring together government representatives, industry thought leaders, policymakers, technical experts, private institutions, farmers, women, and youth from across the globe to discuss and define practical actions and solutions to the challenges of technology access and use in Africa’s agriculture sector.
Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of AATF, noted that ACAT will highlight the central role of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) in fostering agricultural transformation, especially in addressing the key challenges faced by African farmers.
“While technology development has steadily grown, with new advancements introduced through research and partnerships, there has been little diffusion of actual products to their intended beneficiaries, especially farmers, entrepreneurs, and consumers.
“This is largely due to persistent bottlenecks that lead to a low return on the large investment in agricultural technology research and development, preventing these products from reaching the market and achieving their intended impact,” said Dr. Kanangire.
Furthermore, Kanangire noted that ACAT will continue to provide the much-needed platform for stakeholders interested in
advancing the continent’s socio-economic development, food, and nutrition security through innovative agricultural technologies.
“This conference will help shine a spotlight on the numerous game-changing innovations that have been developed and highlight opportunities to address the multiple stressors facing the sector due to population growth, climate change, and other factors,” he noted.
Dr. Kanangire further stated that ACAT will provide a unique platform to discuss barriers to technology transfer and propose strategies for transforming existing technologies into next-generation solutions capable of enhancing productivity and effectively addressing the challenges faced by African farmers.
For the last 20 years, AATF has coordinated public-private partnerships to improve access to agricultural technologies, addressing production challenges, boosting productivity, and enhancing the continent’s economies and community well-being.
The inaugural ACAT was held in Nairobi, Kenya, last year in response to the need for a high-level, STI-focused discussion forum.
ACAT 2025 will drive progress in agricultural technology through solution-oriented discussions, inclusive participation, and advancing scientific research under the theme “NextGen Ag-Tech Solutions for Africa’s Farmers.”
