Agriculture digitalisation next on the Pacific Connect agenda

The Pacific Connect Virtual Dialogue series developed by the International Centre for Democratic Partnerships (ICDP) continues tomorrow with a Network Dialogue on ‘digital agriculture across the Pacific’. Nearly 60 participants from 7 countries will come together for the half-day talanoa, with over half joining from ‘Community Hubs’ in Honiara, Lae and Suva. Online participants will not be left out, with networking rooms, interactive Q&A sessions and engaging presentations ensuring that everyone can share their thoughts on the region’s agricultural future and how technology will play its part. Thought leaders and change makers from agriculture groups and cooperatives, academics, farmers, entrepreneurs and technology experts and enthusiasts will explore opportunities to scale four emerging projects, share knowledge and ideas, deepen relations across the Pacific Connect network and identify opportunities to partner in joint funding proposals. In line with ICDP’s objective to ‘…promote Pacific Island women as current and future leaders’, 50% of registered Virtual Dialogue attendees are women.

The Virtual Dialogue will be facilitated by well-known Community members Cameron Neil and Olisana Mariner. Cameron, as Director of Red Hat Impact and General Manager, Common Code, has been working with the Pacific Connect team to implement the Pacific Coding series of Workshops that were most recently held in Tonga. Cameron’s interest and specialisation in supply chain transformation, impact investment and social enterprises will be of much benefit to the participants. As Co-Founder of The Hub and a Founding Curator of Global Shapers Community Apia, Olisana brings a rich experience of entrepreneurial and advocacy skills.

The Virtual Dialogue will focus on four presentations of emergent digital agriculture projects, delivered by Pacific Connect Community members. Martha Raka and Fabio Vella will present their work on the Digital Agriculture Farmer Portal. Fred Fuakilau will discuss digitalisation possibilities of soil health and the Organic Integration Project. These will be followed by James Kana and Ender Rence presenting the Less Than Container Load initiative, and Kenneth and Shauna Katafono talking about ‘digitising value chains through traceability’..

In two Breakout Room discussion sessions, our Virtual Dialogue participants will be able to engage with presenters and colleagues with the aim of progressing the four emergent projects, explore their application in other countries, and consider other solutions in the value chain. After a networking-focused lunch and more Breakout Room discussions, participants will come back together to share their thoughts on the collaborative projects and engage with potential funders. All in all, it promises to be a fantastic event with so much to learn and share!

ICDP will provide live updates from all sessions on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram channels. To take part in the conversation, don’t forget to use the hashtags #PacificConnect and #DigitalPacific.