President RCD and Regent Arban pitch in IFAD-ADB joint Digital Agriculture symposium

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) organized a Symposium in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea last November 24, 2022, at South Korea and via Zoom Teleconferencing.

The event highlighted the importance of investing in digital solutions to accelerate sustainable and inclusive rural development illustrating how ICTs and digital tools contribute to solving challenges facing agriculture and rural economies in Asia and the Pacific Region. Strategic partnerships are crucial to scaling up the use and impact of digital technologies for inclusive rural transformation.

The event offered a platform for actors across different sectors to discuss and identify areas where effort and resources can be brought together to maximize disruptive impact.

CSU President, Dr. Rolyn C. Daguil pitched Climate Resilient Portal for Agricultural Supply Chain Management (CRP4ASCM). A project which addresses the gap of information in the supply chain of the agricultural commodity by having an aggregated supply chain of Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources (AANR) products through blockchain, participatory planning and reporting of production via mobile app, and interactive maps and visualization of farms and other relevant information.

In the same event, Acting Country Programme Officer and Special Adviser for IFAD Philippines Country Program and CSU’s Board of Regent, Hon. Yolando C. Arban also pitched for the project Strengthening Governance and Management of Municipal Water: Combatting Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) via ICT (ICTCIUUF). A project implemented by FAO-PHL in partnership with BFAR FishCORAL Project, CCAUSE, and Caraga State University (CSU) that monitors coastal waters and real-time detection for the intrusion of commercial boats and illegal fishing activities.

The symposium was an avenue for startups to secure funding and leverage a network of venture capitalists and seed funders. NKB/pico