Join us for IFDC’s upcoming symposium, “Future Proofing: Unified Action for Soil Health and Food Security,” on November 4 at KIT Institute located at Mauritskade 64, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The health of our soil is fundamental to achieving sustainable agriculture, ensuring food security, and preserving our environment. As global challenges intensify, collaborative efforts and innovative solutions are more essential than ever.
Join this significant event that will convene leading experts from various fields, including agriculture, policy, innovation, and finance, to discuss and strategize on enhancing soil health and sustainable practices.
We look forward to seeing you at KIT Institute in The Netherlands on November 4, 2024. You can also join us virtually to engage in impactful conversations and contribute to shaping a sustainable and food-secure future.
See the full agenda below.
This event will be held in English.
Registration is now closed.
Thank you for registering and attending the event!
Netherlands Symposium Agenda – November 4, 2024
Morning Sessions
Opening
Time: 9:00-9:10 AM
Moderator
Marina Diboma, Program Director, 2SCALE
Welcome Address
Time: 9:10–9:25 AM
Speakers
Henk van Duijn, IFDC President and CEO
Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission
Steven Collet, Deputy Director General, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aid, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Leadership Panel
Time: 9:30-10:30 AM
Now is the time to advocate for soil health if we are to eradicate human hunger and poverty while preserving current biodiversity and restoring land currently under cultivation. Soil health is the central focus of reducing hunger, poverty, inequity – and restoring soil health is key.
Speakers
- Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission
- Steven Collet, Deputy Director General, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aid, Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Paul Gulleik Larsen, Special Envoy and Ambassador-at-Large for Food Security, Minister of International Development of Norway
Facilitator
Marina Diboma, Program Director, 2SCALE
Coffee break and Networking
Time: 10:30-11:00 AM
The coffee break provides an excellent opportunity for participants to engage with one another. Pick up a cup of coffee and meet our IFDC staff to discuss the work we do to develop better technologies, catalyze farm productivity, strengthen markets, and enable impact.
Panel: “Transforming Food Systems: The Answer Lies Beneath Our Feet“
Time: 11:00 AM-12:30 PM
How can the nations of Africa sustainably produce enough nutritious food to feed their communities while improving soil health at the same time? As the continent’s population is set to double by 2050, there is great urgency for creating a clear path of action for sustainable change. However, it can be done if we all work together to support the implementation of the 10-Year Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan. Hear from frontline experts on the concrete action needed to tackle these challenges.
Panelists
- Dr. Andre Bationo, 2020 Africa Food Prize winner, former Regional Director West Africa of Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
- Dr. Anneke Trux, Head of GIZ’s Global Programme Protection and Rehabilitation of Soils for Food Security (ProSoil)
- Nico Janssen, Program Manager of Agricultural Livelihoods at IKEA Foundation
- Josephine Okot, Victoria Seeds Ltd. Founder, 2007 Yara Prize laureate (now the Africa Food Prize), and IFDC Board Co-Chair
- Dr. Richard Rugendo, Managing Director of Kevian Kenya Ltd.
- Mehdi Filali, Senior Vice President of OCP West Africa
- Ivo Demmers, Executive Director of the Netherlands Food Partnership
Facilitator
Dr. Oumou Camara, IFDC Vice President of Programs
Lunch
Time: 12:30-1:30 PM
Please enjoy a networking lunch.
Afternoon Sessions
Breakout Sessions: “Future Proofing: In Support of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan“
Time: 1:30-3:00 PM
Join one of five ongoing Working Groups that will spend the afternoon session workshopping real, implementable solutions. These groups will focus on the concrete, achievable actions that the global community can take to support the member states of the African Union in the wake of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, to improve soil health and food security.
Expected output: The five working groups will identify actions that can be taken to remove barriers that key actors within the food system face.
Breakout Group 1: Producers and Consumers
Group Focus and Details
Explore the key challenges, opportunities, and resources that producers and consumers of food bring to the table, in the context of the five themes of the workshop.
This group will be led by East West Knowledge Transfer with expertise in understanding the needs of farmers, having directly worked with them on knowledge transfer and capacity-building programs. They will be supported by a representative of the African Union whose knowledge of agri-value chains brings insights into consumer and producer-level risks and opportunities.
Led by:
Rutger Groot/Stuart Morris, East West Knowledge Transfer
Facilitator:
Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission
Breakout Group 2: Private Sector
Group Focus and Details
Outline the private sector’s contribution, needs, and strengths in the context of the workshop themes.
This group will be led by the International Fertilizer Association with expertise in connecting the private sector to consumers at the last mile, with extensive market systems experience. They will be supported by a private sector leader from the agriculture and food sectors who can highlight the private sector’s needs from other stakeholders, while discussing resources they can deliver.
Led by:
Patrick Heffer, Deputy Director General and Chair of the Africa Forum, International Fertilizer Association (IFA)
Facilitator:
Mehdi Filali, Senior Vice President of OCP West Africa
Breakout Group 3: Government/Enabling Environment
Group Focus and Details
Explore policies, regulations, schemes, and institutional arrangements to address the workshop themes.
This group will be led by a representative from the IKEA Foundation and the Government of the Netherlands who can bring insights into the strategic vision of the administration’s ODA programs, supported by a global philanthropic organization with experience of providing technical assistance to countries.
Led by:
Nico Janssen, Program Manager Agricultural Livelihoods IKEA Foundation
Facilitator:
Wilma van Esch, Team Lead Food Security, Department Inclusive Green Growth, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate-General of International Cooperation
Breakout Group 4: Research & Innovation
Group Focus and Details
Draw up the key innovations, technologies, and research questions that can aid the workshop themes.
This group will be led by an innovative leader from Yara Corporate Development in the agriculture sector with a track record of carrying multiple products through the innovation lifecycle. They will receive support from Wageningen University & Research with experience in studying soil health and food security issues across Africa.
Led by:
Rejane Souza, Senior Vice President of Global Innovation, Yara Corporate Development
Facilitator:
Esther Ronner, Programme Leader Sustainable Land Use, Environmental Science Group, Wageningen University & Research
Breakout Group 5: Financial Sector
Group Focus and Details
Discuss the key financing priorities and funding facilities that can support the themes of the workshop.
This group will be led by two key financial institutions, Sustain Africa and Rabobank, with extensive experience in providing debt financing to various countries and companies operating in the agriculture and food security sectors in Africa. They also bring global evidence of what policies-subsidies, regulations, etc. work in different contexts. In addition, they also provide insights into innovative ways to address the challenge of multiple development priorities competing for the limited public financial resources that countries often face.
Led by:
Sheila Keino, Executive Director, Sustain Africa
Facilitator:
Ben Valk, Head Strategic Alliances and Transition Finance, Rabobank
During the breakouts, the working groups will present their findings to a hybrid group of in-person and online participants and facilitate a rapid workshop to further refine ideas, ratify the selected actions, and discuss the next steps to implement a plan of action.
Coffee Break and Networking
Time: 3:00-3:30 PM
A second opportunity to meet IFDC experts and learn more about the Center’s work to develop better technologies, catalyze farm productivity, strengthen markets, and enable impact.
Plenary: Charting a Bold Course for Plants, People, and Planet
Time: 3:30-4:45 PM
We come back together to share the work we have started. One leader from each working group will take the stage to discuss outputs from the breakout sessions and next steps.
Facilitator
Dr. Leigh Winowiecki, Soil Systems Scientist; CIFOR-ICRAF Theme Leader, Soil and Land Health; Co-lead of the Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH); and IFDC board member.
Closing Remarks
The session closes with a summary of the plenary and invitation to continue working toward a food-secure future.
Time: 4:45-5:00 PM
Dr. Rudy Rabbinge, Chair of the Food and Agriculture Organization World Agricultural Forum, Professor Emeritus of Wageningen University, and outgoing Chair of the IFDC Board of Directors
Word of Thanks, Recognition of IFDC Champions, and Invitation to Continue Working Towards a Food-Secure Future
Time: 5:00-5:15 PM
Dr. Neal Gutterson, Chair of the IFDC Board of Directors, Partner and Chief Technology Officer at Radicle Growth, and former Chief Technology Officer of Corteva
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