Fostering the digital transformation of agriculture through strategies: national and local perspectives
Hybrid Event, 13/05/2022
Digital technologies are yielding new growth in the food and agriculture sector and in rural areas. Connectivity, mobile adoption, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies are opening doors to new opportunities, enhancing the performance of the sector and increasing working conditions. However, they also pose certain risks, such as of digital divides between regions or businesses and between urban and rural areas.
The digital technology dividends are not automatic. Some rural areas in Europe and Central Asia are still falling behind when it comes to the adoption of new technologies due to for instance bottlenecks in the broadband infrastructure, affordability, awareness, digital skills and regulatory issues.
The objective of this special event is to provide a platform for FAO Members and other stakeholders to share their approaches and strategical standpoints related to digitalization in agriculture and rural development.
The session aims at discovering how national digital strategies and local initiatives for agricultural and rural development, such as European Smart Villages and FAO Digital Villages, can serve as a bridge to close the rural divide.
Main questions
- How can we foster strategies to ensure a smart and sustainable digital future for agriculture and rural areas across Europe and Central Asia?
- How can we link grass-root-level action with broader national and regional strategies for digitalization?