eLearning Africa Launches 'Agriculture Track': A Special Programme For Africa's Farming And Food Sector eLearning Africa are offering, for the first time, a special new programme about learning and training for Africa's farming and food sector.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur South Africa, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
This year, eLearning Africa are including seminars, discussions and debates about learning and training for Africa's farming and food sector. This reveals the continued importance of agriculture in African economies, together with new opportunities and challenges for African food producers in an era of rapid technological change.
"Farming and food production currently employ over 40% of the continent's workforce, with more than 70% of those being women. Communications technology is making a huge difference to farming in Africa, delivering information and training about prices, markets, sources of finance, farm business development, crop management, animal husbandry, health, ecology, climate change, new ways of fighting diseases and a host of other matters," says Rebecca Stromeyer, the founder of eLearning Africa.
"The way in which Africa's food and farming sector adapts to the future will play a major part in the transformation of the continent and the ability of African economies to entrench sustainable, economic growth in the long term," she says.
The potentially prosperous future of African agriculture
"What is happening in African farming now is important for the whole world, not just for Africa. The continent is rich in resources. It can easily feed its own people, but it can also become a major exporter of high quality produce," says Dr Harold Elletson, the editor of the eLearning Africa Report, and head the eLA Agriculture Track.
"As African Governments begin to develop their exciting plans for a common free trade area, they now face some important choices. Should they rush into the arms of the globalised, highly industrial "Big Farm' corporations who increasingly want to muscle in on African agriculture, or should they encourage the growth of small farms, develop Africa's trade and distribution infrastructure, preserve traditional knowledge and extend access to skills, training and investment for African workers, managers and entrepreneurs?" he asks.
"The world has much to learn from Africa and the way in which young people are trained to manage the continent's resources in the future could stand as an example at a time when the whole world is facing the twin challenges of population growth and climate change."
A call for papers and participants for 2019
eLearning Africa has issued a call for papers from anyone interested in participating in this year's conference, which will take place in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d'Ivoire, from 23 - 25 October.
Key themes are education and sustainable food production; agriculture training; the role of ICTs in improving training, knowledge management and access; partnerships and collaboration; and protecting the environment.
For more details about the call for papers, conference programme, the eLA Agriculture Track, the eLA exhibition or the annual eLA Ministerial Round Table, please contact info@elearning-africa.com or visit the website at www.elearning-africa.com.
