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1st Day – Wednesday 18th June 2008
09.30 Registration
11.00 Brief presentation of Participants – Part I
12.00 Workshop: Innovation Strategy and Regional Innovation Systems 13.00 Networking Lunch 14.00 Brief presentation of Participants – part II
15.30 Official Opening Session of the AgriBusiness Forum 2008
Key Note Speaker: Dr. Franz Fischler, EU Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development from 1995 to 2004, President of the Ecosocial Forum Europe
16.30 Projects Incubator: Innovative Agro-Industry Projects from Africa
The best project will be rewarded during the Gala Evening with the EMRC Award
17.00 Networking place: One-to-One Sectoral Business Meetings
19.30 Networking dinner
2nd Day – Thursday 19th June 2008
09.00 Welcome Opening of the AgriBusiness Forum's Technical Sessions
09.15 Session I: PPP in Agriculture as a Platform for Growth and Wealth
- The Role and Relevance of Public-Private Partnerships in Food and Agriculture
- Reinforcing the participation of the private sector and the Private-Public cooperation: paving the way for effective exit strategies
- Challenges to face and lessons to be learnt
- The Millennium Villages Programme of the Earth Institute at Columbia University
10.15 PPP Case Study: Partnering to Benefit African Subsistance Farmers - the Monsanto Case
10.45 Coffee Break
11.15 Session II: Investing and Financing African Agro-Food Industry
Part I: Responsible financing solutions to boost agribusiness in view of sustainable growth
Part II: How can donors contribute to strenghten the agro-food sector?
12.45 Q&A (Questions and Answers) Participants are invited to debate with speakers
13.15 Networking Lunch
14.15 Session III: Research and Innovation for sustainable growth in agriculture: best practices and experiences learnt
15.15 Coffee Break
15.45 Session IV: Adding value to Agricultural Products
Part I: Making use of local raw material to replace imports and promote production of finished products in Africa - the Heineken case
Part II: Creating wealth and ensuring food security at the grass root levels of the AgriBusiness sector in Africa - the Olam International case
17.00 Networking place: One-to-One Sectorial Business Meetings
20.30 Gala Evening: Presentation of the EMRC AGRIBUSINESS AWARDS 2008 to selected leaders of business and policy, in the presence of European and African Ministers and the business community and certificates ceremony
Special Guest: Youssou N'Dour, Performer & founder of Birima, the Microfinance Institute in Senegal
3rd Day – Friday 20th June 2008
09.00 Session V: Alternative Partnerships for Rural Development
Part I: Enabling Rural Economy - using ICT and spatial data resources to build self-sustaining rural communities
Part II: Developing 21st century agriculture in Africa - empowering agro-enterprise to enhance the economic and social wealth of communities - the Diageo case
11.00 Coffee Break
Part III: making the private sector grow: innovative funds for SMEs Part IV: Addressing major health challenges in the agriculture sector: providing services communities through public private partnership programmes with food producers, international agencies and NGOs
13.00 Closure of the Forum
Presentation of the conclusions and recommendations to the experts and delegates 13.30 Networking Lunch
14.30 Mini-Tour of Rome (Saint Peter - Coliseum - Piazza di Spagna - and many more...)
18.00 Final remarks & farewell reception To get detailed information on the speakers, please click here.