{"id":4163,"date":"2024-12-16T14:22:17","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T14:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emergingag.com\/?p=4163"},"modified":"2024-12-16T14:22:19","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T14:22:19","slug":"2024-year-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emergingag.com\/fr\/2024-year-in-review\/","title":{"rendered":"2024 Year in Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As 2024 draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect on an incredible year of growth, collaboration, and impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, Emerging ag organized over 50 events and engagements across various regions, bringing together a remarkable community of more than 282,000 participants and over 300 influential speakers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I am grateful to the farmers, researchers, NGOs and businesses we serve around the world. And always grateful to the amazing individuals at Emerging ag who make all our work possible. With issues like soil health, rangelands, and DSI really taking centre stage the global policy sphere, it was a particularly fulfilling year.
– Robynne Anderson, President, Emerging ag inc.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Major Events and Programmes focused on Gender and Capacity Building<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women was held in-person at UN headquarters in New York in March 2024 under the Priority theme: \u201cAccelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective\u201d. In the margins of the event, Emerging coordinated a side event on behalf of AWARD titled \u201cExploring the nexus of gender-responsive policies and equitable agrifood systems\u201d. The event focused on the need for resources to close gender gaps, encouraged appointing women to leadership roles, and highlighted the need for innovations that work for women. With over 65 attendees and 13 speakers, discussions highlighted the need to ensure gender-based policies complimented each other, with a focus on policy implementation. High Level participants included Ms. Lauren Phillips, Deputy Director, Rural Transformation and Gender Equality at FAO and Ms. Brenda Behan, Director for Gender Equality at WFP with the latter making an intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAO-IAFN SME Accelerator Programme<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Through the 2024 year, the 2nd<\/sup> cohort of the SME Accelerator programme<\/a> saw continued success, fostering 50 women entrepreneurs across Africa\u2019s agrifood sector. The programme is estimated to have positively benefitted 500,000 people \u2013 employees, farmers, value chain participants and customers. As Secretariat to the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN), Emerging collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to develop and coordinate the programme. Spanning 9 months, the programme included one-on-one mentoring, 3 workshops, and additional capacity development through tailor-made trainings to enhance hard skills. The success of the programme has resulted in a 3rd<\/sup> cohort launched in October<\/a> during the Science and Innovation Forum at the World Food Forum in Rome. The 3rd<\/sup> year of the programme began with its first workshop in November 2024 and will continue through 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blog | <\/strong>The Transformative Impact of the Women SME Accelerator Program<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

AWARD Knowledge Festival \u2013 One Planet Fellowship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emerging supported the hosting of the AWARD Knowledge Festival and Graduation Ceremony, held on October 17th and 18th, 2024, celebrating the achievements of the One Planet Fellowship program. The event brought together African scientists, mentors, and government representatives to address climate-related agricultural challenges and culminated in the graduation of 128 One Planet Laureate Candidates, who will now serve as ambassadors for climate solutions across Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blog |<\/strong> The Celebration of African Scientists & Researchers<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Major Events on Global Food Systems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NY Climate Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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During the opening of the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week, Emerging was on the ground addressing equity in food systems and advancing efforts towards building climate resilient agriculture. The week included 4 side events, coordinated by our team on behalf of multiple clients, with over 300 attendees and 39 speaking slots from across NGOs, academia, farmers, and the private sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blog | <\/strong>New York Climate Week 2024 – Spotlight on Food Systems<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emerging supported a side event at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit<\/a> (AFSH) 2024 in May titled \u201cSoil Matters: Cultivating Change for Africa\u2019s Food Systems Transformation through Evidence-based Policy and Practice.\u201d This side event highlighted the critical role of soil health in driving comprehensive transformation within Africa\u2019s food systems. The AFSH Summit was held under the theme \u201cListen to the Land\u201d, bringing together over 4,000 stakeholders to assess Africa’s fertilizer use and soil health progress since the 2006 Abuja declaration. The Summit endorsed a 10-year African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan<\/a>, as well as the Soils Initiative for African (SIA)<\/a>, to be taken by African Leaders and stakeholders to establish a framework for implementing new policies and investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blog |<\/strong> Cultivating a Prosperous Sustainable Future<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

African Conference on Agricultural Technologies 2025 Launch<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In September, Emerging supported two events in Kigali, Rwanda, including the Strategic Dialogues on Agricultural Technology in Africa (SDATA) Researchers dialogue and a Ministerial dialogue that was within the AFSF program as a build up towards the launch of ACAT 2025. Under the theme “NextGen Ag-tech Solutions for Africa\u2019s Farmers,” the Government of Rwanda and AATF will host the second edition of ACAT<\/a> at the Kigali Convention Centre from June 9 to 13, 2025. ACAT is the foremost agricultural technology transfer platform that facilitates structured dialogue and consensus-building on game-changing novel technologies, ideas, and policies to foster agricultural transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Food Forum (WFF)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 2024 World Food Forum also took place in October and attracted a PSM delegation of 70 persons who participated in all three Forums across the week. PSM\u2019s participation in the 2024 World Food Forum reinforced the critical role of private enterprises in transforming food systems, tackling global hunger, promoting responsible investment, and supporting innovations that drive sustainable food production and consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key highlights for the participation of PSM at the World Food Forum included 6 Bilateral meetings with senior FAO Officials and the hosting of 6 separate Side Events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Report | <\/strong>World Food Forum – Private Sector Mechanism 2024<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Committee on World Food Security 52 (CFS52)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With Emerging as the acting Secretariat, the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM) was well represented in October at CFS52, with a delegation of 124 representatives from 27 countries. Key outcomes from the session include the endorsement of the Policy Recommendations on Reducing Inequalities for Food Security and Nutrition, the Global Thematic event on uptake of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food and the Forum on the uptake of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women\u2019s and Girls Empowerment. In addition to these outcomes, Emerging coordinated, on behalf of the PSM, 7 side events with over 480 attendees in person and virtually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Report | <\/strong>Committee on World Food Security – Private Sector Engagement 2024<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP29)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Through November, the Emerging team was in the beautiful city of Baku coordinating multiple engagements at COP29<\/a>. With an emphasis on climate action, finance, food systems, soil health, fibre crops like hemp and cotton and the new set of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Emerging managed 15 events with over 93 speakers and arranged an additional 43 speaking slots for agri-food. These activities resulted in rich conversations with over 1,200 delegates, shaping the COP discussions and outcomes, agreeing on priority actions and strengthening of partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blog |<\/strong> COP29 – Tackling Climate Change<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Major Events on Public Health and Biodiversity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Society 8th Pan-African Malaria Conference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In April, the MIM<\/a> Society 8th Pan-African Malaria Conference – a cornerstone event in the malaria research and policy field – took place in Kigali, Rwanda. As the Secretariat of the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research<\/a>, Emerging organized the symposium<\/a> \u201cIntegrating genetic approaches in the malaria toolkit\u201d in the margins of the event. The session contributed to broader conversations on gene drive technologies that took place that week. A number of sessions considered gene drives as a potential tool to fight malaria, underscoring its potential role in expanding the toolkit towards a malaria free world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blog<\/strong> | Highlights from the 8th Pan African Malaria Conference<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September in Paris, the OECD hosted its Global Forum on Technology (GFTech)<\/a>, a space for dialogue on directions of technology governance and how to best maximize technologies\u2019 desirable socio-economic impacts. The event gathered policymakers and biotechnology experts from around the world to discuss how biotechnologies can contribute to food security, health and sustainable production. The Secretariat of the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research<\/a> was invited to speak about potential contributions of gene drive technologies to control vector-borne diseases and reverse biodiversity loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16th Conference of Parties to the <\/strong>Convention on Biological Diversity<\/strong> (CBD COP<\/strong>6)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Emerging team supported members of the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research attending CBD COP16<\/a> in Cali, Colombia, in October. The group engaged in discussions on several agenda items relevant to gene drives, such as synthetic biology, risk assessment, biodiversity and health, and indicators for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a>. Among the positive outcomes was the adoption of new voluntary guidance for risk assessment of living modified organisms containing engineered gene drives<\/a>, which aligns with international best practices in the field. In addition, CBD will develop a capacity-building action plan to enhance countries\u2019 capacity to research and use synthetic biology to further the goals of the CBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Report |<\/strong> New voluntary guidance for risk assessment of living modified organisms containing engineered gene drives <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Market Development<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Promoting Canadian Oats on behalf of the Prairie Oat Growers Association<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since 2014, Emerging has been supporting the Prairie Oats Growers Association\u2019s (POGA) in promoting the consumption of oats to Canadian, Japanese, and Mexican consumers. The success of the campaigns has resulted in the launch of additional Latin American audiences in 2024, with the inclusion of Peruvian and Ecuadorian consumers. The 2024 campaign included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n