Digitisation of agriculture, along with the empowerment of farmers to take part in the digital economy were among the key messages of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7). According to Michael Hailu, Director of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), digital technology is a prerequisite to advancing agriculture in Africa and is of fundamental importance for the development of the continent.
Hosted by Japan and co-organised by the UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (UN-OSSA), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the conference aims to promote a 'high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners'.