For sub-Saharan African countries, SPACE will once again be a unique event and a valuable driver of growth. (Image source: SPACE)

The 38th edition of SPACE will take place from 17-19 September at the Rennes Exhibition Centre in France

This year, SPACE 2024 promises to be a premier event for the agricultural sector, attracting more than 1,200 exhibitors, 100,000 visitors from 120 countries, more than 100 conferences, a platform for innovations, special events for young professionals, an Espace for the Future to explore forward-thinking tools, job dating events and top buyers from around the world.

One key theme at SPACE this year is attracting a new generation of farmers, essential to sustaining this key industry in France. SPACE 2024 aims to provide farmers with a comprehensive range of ideas and solutions to improve succession planning, farm sales and acquisitions and enhance the overall attractiveness of agricultural careers, ensuring that livestock farmers can thrive. Energy transition, food sovereignty and generational renewal will be the main themes at SPACE this week. 

For sub-Saharan African countries, SPACE will once again be a unique event and a valuable driver of growth. Delegations from Benin, Togo, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal and others will attend to explore solutions for developing their food independence.

The Tech’Agri Challenge by INNOV’SPACE also returns for its second edition. This year’s challenge includes both a demonstrator category and an ideation category. Five solutions will be presented at the Expo in Hall 3, with teams showcasing their projects. A panel of professionals will judge the projects and select the winners of the 2024 competition. A number of animal presentations and conferences will also take place, giving a unique opportunity for the agricultural community to gain insight about important issues.

Thanks to the diverse range of suppliers showcasing equipment and services for all aspects of animal farming, SPACE is a global meeting point for livestock farmers from around the world.

The Young Farmers Day is the central meeting place for all those at the beginning of their career in agriculture and agribusiness. (Image source: DLG)

On 14 November, the DLG (German Agricultural Society) is organising the Young Farmers Day, which attracts young people from Germany and from countries across Europe

Young professionals, entrepreneurs, students and apprentices can benefit from EuroTier’s extensive information for young career starters. On 13 November, the focus of the exhibition will be on the next generation, with young breeders having the opportunity to meet and network at the cross-species Young Breeders' Meeting. In addition, the Job Wall offers a compact overview of current job advertisements in the agricultural industry. The day programme will cover talks, presentations and networking events, and will take place in Hall 13.

The Young Farmers Day is the central meeting place for all those at the beginning of their career in agriculture and agribusiness. The event caters to the needs of the entire young segment which includes young farmers, students, pupils and young professionals in the agricultural upstream or downstream industry. With the panel discussion: 'Increasing animal welfare, surviving globally - is that possible?' Rebecca Derstappen from the Thünen Institute, Germany; Verena Beck, Brand Fleisch; and Jörg Struve, Struve Agrar will talk about higher animal welfare standards and higher production costs, a situation that has led some producers and players in the meat industry to address their international competitiveness.

Three keynote speeches on the topic of direct farm sales will take place, followed by another panel discussion exploring how cows can be viewed as climate pests. Other presentations will focus on biogas plants and alternative housing options to the conventional animal housing.

Ideal for young career starters is another panel discussion titled: 'Herd management programmes - the foundation for your success in dairy cattle management,' which allows attendees to learn how a herd management programme can help them develop the skills they need for a successful future in dairy farming. 

At the last talk of the day, 'Junge DLG: Your springboard to the future,' young visitors will learn what it means to be part of the Junge DLG network and how to get involved. In addition, the Junge DLG is organizing a “Guided Innovations Tour” of the exhibition grounds in cooperation with the two German universities of Kiel and Weihenstephan. 

To celebrate the end to a successful day, the event will culminate in the Young Farmers Party which will offer young farmers a well-deserved break away from the hard day-to-day work. The party will take place on the evening of 14 November from in the Munich Hall at the Hanover exhibition grounds.

More than 40 speakers from around the world will feature at Food Frontier’s AltProteins 24. (Image source: Food Frontier)

Food Frontier's AltProteins 24 is just a few weeks away and the independent think tank announces that the Secretary-General for the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet will be the keynote speaker at this October's conference

Joining Satya Tripathi, who has served with the UN for more than two decades, will be more than 40 speakers from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Brazil, Sweden, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, The Netherlands, the USA, and Germany, including other key industry leaders. 

The conference will allow attendees to network with emerging innovative companies in agtech, precision fermentation and cultivated meat and hear how they are redefining the food system. With a focus on building sustainable food systems the conference will also feature a debate on catalysing food as a central climate change issue, showcasing some of the most impactful initiatives that are driving industry growth. 

On 10 October, Food Frontier will also host an exclusive novel food tasting event adjacent to AltProteins 24, showcasing two revolutionary food types not yet approved in Australia: dairy made from precision fermentation and cultivated meat. The menu will also feature innovative plant-based products like steak, eggs, and whipped cream from overseas market leaders—all of which are not yet for sale in Australia. Attendance is strictly by invitation only; however, four lucky attendees of AltProteins 24 have the chance to win a coveted golden ticket, granting them access to this one-of-a-kind experience.

AltProteins' lead sponsor, the Victorian Government—through support from Agriculture Victoria, Global Victoria and Invest Victoria—will open the day with a dignitary address as well as participate in a plant protein development session and global market reach, export opportunity workshop.  

To register and attend the event, visit: foodfrontier.org/altproteins-conference/ 

The aim of the new deal is to foster economic opportunities by offering zero-tariff treatment to Least Developed Countries in Africa. (Image source: Republic of Kenya)

Chinese president Xi Jinping recently announced a 10-point partnership action plan for Africa for the next three years

During the opening of the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Beijing, President Xi Jinping mentioned that the 10 action plans will provide Africa with US$50bn of financial support. This will include a US$29.4bn credit line, US$11.2bn of various forms of assistance and at least US$9.8bn of investment in Africa by Chinese companies. Additionally, China will also encourage and support Africa in issuing Panda Bonds in China to enhance results-oriented cooperation.

President Xi said modernisation should put people first and strive to reduce poverty, provide jobs and foster inclusive growth. He further emphasised the need for open, win-win modernisation, noting that China and Africa together account for one-third of the world’s population and without it, there will be no global modernisation. 

He announced that China will elevate the status of African countries with diplomatic relations to a strategic level so that they join what he called 'the all-weather Chinese community'. He said the 10-point plan will be achieved through cooperation in governance, experience-sharing platforms, knowledge networks and leadership training programmes.

The aim of the new deal is to foster economic opportunities by offering zero-tariff treatment to least developed countries in Africa, expanding market access for agricultural products and establishing economic partnerships. The partnership actions also focus on industrial cooperation, enhancing digital technology and implementing connectivity projects like infrastructure development to support the Africa Continental Free Trade Area. 

The partnership will not only engage in improving the health sector by supporting Africa's pharmaceutical industry, but will also extend to agriculture. Some of the plans include emergency food assistance and development, people-to-people exchanges to strengthen vocational education and cultural programmes, and green development initiatives, including clean energy and disaster mitigation projects. Furthermore, China will provide military assistance, training and conduct joint exercises to enhance cooperative security efforts with Africa.

“China is prepared to implement 30 infrastructure connectivity projects in Africa, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and put in place a China-Africa network featuring land-sea links and coordinated development,” President Xi said. "We will give Africa US$140mn of grants in military assistance, provide training for 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police and law enforcement officers from Africa, and invite 500 young African military officers to visit China."

The panel discussion session was themed 'Outlook from the Region Update and Prospect for Cooperation.' (Image source: Republic of Uganda)

Minister of State for International Cooperation, Henry Oryem Okello represented the President at the Second Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) II from 1-3 September 2024 in Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali 

As Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Okello on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni, through his statement recalled the 1955 Bandung conference that laid the foundation of the 10 Bandung principles which have been the cornerstone of the NAM. 

Despite the tremendous strides made by NAM in foreseeing a more peaceful world, Okello highlighted that there is an even greater challenge of fostering economic prosperity for all and achieving the SDGs.Okello hailed the strong bilateral relations between Indonesia and Uganda and also the wider continent of Africa. Underlining the need to harness the potential of the youth in the global economy through digitalisation to accelerate growth, he said it was also important to expand production in critical sectors like agriculture through mechanisation and irrigation.

He also highlighted the importance of addressing the challenges associated with climate change through collective efforts. The Minister reiterated the importance of fulfilling commitments made towards mitigation but not at the expense of economic progress for the developing countries. Okello also underscored the importance of empowering SMEs transition to industrialisation and the huge potential for tourism where Indonesia has made tremendous strides that can be emulated.

Okello also delivered some notable remarks during the Panel Discussion I of the IAF themed 'Outlook from the Region Update and Prospect for Cooperation,' that took place on 2 September.