Upcoming event   

20-28 May 2013 Tamale and Hohoe, Ghana

Event: Filming in Ghana

Purpose: to make short films highlighting good agronomic practices including integrated soil fertility management for cassava, rice and maize-legume production

Partners: the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute's rice programme (CSIR-SARI) and Africare Ghana

Objectives: To produce print and film materials for use in reinforcing messages on integrated soil fertility management to smallholder farmers to be distributed in partnership with Savannah Agricultural Research Institute's rice programme (CSIR-SARI) and Africare Ghana and the Ministry for Food & Agriculture (Ghana).
ASHC team members attending: Grace Omondi and Lydia Wairegi

28 May 2013 Nairobi, Kenya

Event: Kenya Soil Health Consortium Project launch
Venue: KARI Kabete, Nairobi
ASHC team member attending: George Odour will be introduced to the delegates as a member of the steering committee
See ASHC news item - 8 May 2013

30 May 2013 Nairobi, Kenya

Smart farming poster completion: Extended closing date

Background: ASHC has been working with the Nairobi-based publishers of Young African Express on a campaign to encourage Kenyan pupils and students to produce ISFM poster. Look at the news section for further up-dates. 

25-31 May 2013 Nairobi, Kenya

Event: International Workshop on Agricultural Innovation Systems

Experiences from various institutions and initiatives will be shared in order to increase the understanding of multi-stakeholder innovation processes in agriculture, with a focus on recognising the role of smallholder farmers - both men and women - in innovation.

The workshop should lead to identification of priorities for research, practice and policy to strengthen innovation process in smallholder agriculture.
Conference website

1 June 2013 Nairobi, Kenya

Event: Closing date for AGRA/ASHC writing competition
Details of the competition
For more information contact: competition@cabi.org

3-7 June 2013 Kenya

Event: AGRA Soil Health Program Grantees Meeting incorporating the AGRA/ASHC write-shop for ISFM knowledge and communication products
Objective: to work with the grantees of the AGRA Soil Health Program to develop farmer friendly messages using the ASHC write-shop approach.
Venue: to be confirmed
ASHC team member attending: the ASHC communications team with Duncan Sones, ASHC communications associate

27-28 June 2013 Littlemore, England  

Conference: 18th CABI Review Conference - Growing to the global challenge: creating a sustainable future.’
Venue: Thames Four Pillars Hotel, Littlemore, Oxfordshire,

About the event: Following on from CABI’s regional consultations this event will outline how CABI plans to address the shared priorities of their member countries. The meeting will bring together member country governmental representatives and representatives from the international development and multinational arena. This will include Unilever talking about the importance they place on sustainable agriculture.

In 2013 CABI will be focusing on ‘growing’ solutions together to address member country’s needs, and the challenges faced in agriculture, trade and in improving livelihoods, sustainably.
ASHC role: to provide inspirational case study material about development communications
ASHC team member attending: Victor Clottey and Dannie Romney

1-5 July 2013 Nairobi, Kenya 

Training workshop: Linking Farmers to Markets in Africa
Venue: IFDC’s regional office on the ICIPE grounds
About the event: Promoted by IFDC with the support of African Union Commission’s Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture. This is now being offered in East Africa following the success of the programme delivered in West Africa in 2011 and 2012.

This training program is aimed at development professionals from both public and private sector with specific interest in farmer-to-market linkages, such as agro-input dealers, importers, traders and trader organizations; producer organizations; and development projects, donors, NGOs and other agricultural development practitioners.
ASHC role: attending as a delegate
ASHC team member attending: George Odour

15-20 July 2013 Accra, Ghana

Conference: Africa Agriculture Science Week 2013 - Africa Feeding Africa through agricultural science and innovation
Purpose of the Conference: This FARA Forum, convened every three years, is gathering all stakeholders in African science.
This event is described as a high-level forum for key decision makers within and outside Africa: ministers, agribusiness leaders, agricultural scientists and key figures in civil society and farmers’ organisations.
　
The Programme

• Open space to host discussions on topical issues (15-16 July)
• Opening/Ghana Day (17 July)
• Plenary session (18-19 July)
• Innovation market place – for showcasing new knowledge products (15-20 July)

Focus: This conference is a market place for science ideas and knowledge products. The open space session allows for consultations amongst peers within the scientific community to ensure that work integrated into the Africa agriculture science and innovation agenda. It is also a major networking event and chance to listen to current status and trends in improving agricultural productivity in Africa.

Sub-themes: There are two important sub-themes for ASHC:
o Education and human resource development
o Innovations to improve productivity and resilience

ASHC: Is committed to being involved – the exact involvement is to be confirmed.

29 September - 2 October 2013 Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands

Conference: First International Conference on Global Food Security
Purpose of the Conference: to deliver state-of-the-art analysis, inspiring visions and innovative research methods arising from interdisciplinary research. Join us in this exciting opportunity to ensure that the best science is garnered to support the emergence of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Achieving global food security whilst reconciling demands on the environment is the greatest challenge faced by mankind. By 2050 we will need to feed 9 billion people. The urgency of the issue has led to huge scientific strides forwards; making it difficult to keep up with the rapidly expanding volume of scientific research.
The conference hopes to make sense of the economic, social, biophysical, technological and institutional drivers of current and future global food security.
The programme incudes:

• Global food systems
• Yield gaps and their agro-ecological and socioeconomic dimensions
• Food chains, certification for sustainability, fair trade, biofuels
• Alternative agricultures (intensive systems, agroecological approaches, coastal and saline agriculture, speciality crops)

20-25 October 2013 Nakuru, Kenya

Event: Transforming Rural Livelihoods in Africa: How can land and water management contribute to enhanced food security and address climate change adaption and mitigation?
Objective: A conference of public and private sector organizations and project accelerating delivery of needed land and water management technologies to African small-scale farmers.
ASHC team members attending: to be confirmed

21-24 October 2013 Yaoundé, Cameroon

Conference: 3rd African Rice Congress
Theme: ‘Rice Science for Food Security and Agri-business Development in Africa’. The Congress will bring together representatives from the public and private sector, civil society organizations, farmer associations and research and extension communities engaged in the development of Africa’s rice sector.

The Congress will take stock of advances in rice science and technology aimed at improving production, processing and marketing practices across the rice value chain in Africa. It will also provide opportunity to discuss institutional innovations, policies and key investments needed to significantly increase rice production, processing and marketing in sub-Saharan Africa, thereby developing competitive and equitable rice value chains, reducing imports and enhancing regional trade.

Important dates
31 March       Receipt of abstracts
15 May          Notification of accepted abstracts
15 June          Early registration closes
1 July            Submission of full papers

The Africa Rice Congress will be organized by the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) in collaboration with the Government of Cameroun.