Agenda

• Session Info

This session will explore the integration of circular bioeconomy principles into the food, water, and energy nexus, focusing on innovative strategies to address the challenges and opportunities in both plant and animal systems as we transition towards a more sustainable and circular bioeconomy. Speakers will share insights on enhancing efficiency, reducing environmental footprints and greenhouse gas emissions, valorizing agricultural waste, increasing bioenergy production, and considering economic factors in implementing these practices. We will conclude with an interactive Q&A session, encouraging engagement between the speakers and audience on how to incorporate circular bioeconomy principles to promote sustainability, resilience and resource efficiency across sectors.

• Session Info

Irrigation as a service (IaaS) encompasses emerging approaches that provide water for agriculture without farmers’ equipment ownership. Unlike direct equipment sales models that follow traditional manufacturer-wholesaler-retailer supply chains, multiple irrigation service provision business models are currently active, with entirely different organizational structures and unit economics. While informal IaaS market arrangements based on personal relationships have been active for decades, within the last few years a growing number of entrepreneurial business models have been established across the Global South. These encompass a wide variety of scales and human capital requirements, from micro-entrepreneurs renting individual pumps, to small businesses serving multiple farmers with custom equipment, to multinational equipment manufacturers and distributors providing irrigation services.

IaaS and equipment ownership are not mutually exclusive, nor is the sole purpose of IaaS to provide a pathway for equipment ownership. Rather multiple modalities exist: irrigation pump owners may rent additional pumps during droughts, or rent their own equipment to others; IaaS can serve as an educational tool that precedes smallholders’ purchase of their own equipment; or IaaS may persist indefinitely in a landscape where IaaS providers are structured as water utilities.

The various IaaS business models have not been studied rigorously to determine whether they are viable: profitable, suitable, equitable, scalable, and financeable.

We will discuss questions including:

• Which IaaS business model, and at what scale, is viable in a given context?
• Which, if any, IaaS business models can scale and/or transfer into new geographic areas and markets? Where and under what conditions would different IaaS models be suitable for scaling?

• Session Info

Building upon the crucial conversations of COP16/Riyadh, this session will showcase innovations and technologies improving drought resilience efforts worldwide. We will explore how advancements in areas like:

• Early Warning Systems: Improved data collection, analysis, and dissemination of drought forecasts to enable proactive response and mitigation measures.
• Drought-Resistant Crops: Development and deployment of crop varieties that are more tolerant to drought stress, including those with enhanced water-use efficiency.
• Water Management Technologies: Innovative approaches to water harvesting, storage, and distribution, such as rainwater harvesting systems, efficient irrigation techniques, and advanced water treatment technologies.
• Digital Technologies: Utilizing remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and other digital tools for improved drought monitoring, impact assessment, and resource management.
• Community-Based Approaches: Empowering local communities with the knowledge, resources, and tools to effectively adapt to drought conditions and build resilience.

• Session Info

This session explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing climate-smart technology-based agricultural practices. Through the integration of precision monitoring, predictive analytics, and automated decision-making, AI can empower the community to optimize resource use, enhance resilience to climate uncertainty, mitigate food deserts, and enhance productivity. Speakers will present innovative research, tools and strategies to address the complex challenge of food, agriculture, environment and climate security.

• Session Info

Climate uncertainty is intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, posing significant threats to global food security. This session will critically examine the adequacy and sustainability of existing agro-climatic safety nets designed to protect agricultural producers from climate hazards.

Panelists’ expertise spans the globe, including Africa, Asia and the U.S., and their perspectives include government, private-sector insurance, academia, humanitarian efforts, and international development.

Topics will include:

• The effectiveness of current safety nets: Evaluating the reach, coverage, and effectiveness of existing programs in mitigating climate-related risks for farmers.
• Addressing the limitations of current approaches: Identifying gaps in coverage, access, and the effectiveness of current safety net mechanisms.
• Exploring innovative solutions: Discussing emerging approaches to climate risk management, including index-based insurance, social safety nets, and early warning systems.
• Ensuring the long-term sustainability of safety nets: Examining the financial sustainability, institutional capacity, and equitable access to safety nets for all farmers.