Opening session

9.30-9.50

Welcome address on behalf of FAO

Welcome address on behalf of Szent Istvan University

Opening message: Trends in agricultural innovation from the perspective of an EU member country

Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Regional Representative and Assistant Director General for Europe and Central Asia
Istvan Szabo, Director for International Relations, Dean, Szent Istvan University
Istvan Feher, session chair, professor emeritus, Szent Istvan University

Introductory session
Objectives: clarify/remind the concepts of e-Agriculture and the need for national strategy; inform on the conclusions and recommendations from the Regional workshop (2015); overview the status of implementation of e-Agriculture in the Region with the aim to define the role of expected results from the expert consultation
Facilitation technique: presentations, discussion

9.50-10.10


10.10-10.30

• Introduction of the outcomes of the First Regional workshop on E-agriculture strategies
• Status of Implementation of E-agriculture in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia: insights from selected countries in Europe and Central Asia

Nevena Alexandrova-Stefanova, FAO

Laszlo Papocsi, GAK

10.30-10.40

Introduction of the participants

10.40-11.00

Objectives of the expert consultation

Nevena Alexandrova-Stefanova, FAO

11.00- 11.15

Coffee break

Introductory session (continued)
Objectives: While during the Regional Workshop (2015) the emphasis was placed on creating a vision for E-agriculture nationwide, now in focus will be how to move from vision to action. During the round table discussion, the experts will be invited to explore the factors and incentives for the MoAs to take ownership of the development of E-agriculture strategies. In addition, the experts would be invited to share issues related to resource mobilization for E-agriculture.
Facilitation technique: presentations and a round table discussion

11.15-11.45

How to move from vision to action

Hani Eskandar, ITU, via Skype

11.45-12.15

Resource mobilization in Europe for e-agriculture:
• European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, EuropeAid
• Opportunities for e-agriculture by EU and other donors, including the opportunities of the renewed FAO Turkish Partnership Program
• European Innovation Partnership

Aron Nemes, Vialto Consulting, Hungary

Adil Altan, Directorate General for EU and Foreign Relations, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Turkey

12.15-13.00

Q&A session

Facilitator: Nevena Alexandrova-Stefanova, FAO

13.00-14.00

Lunch

Session: E-services in agriculture as part of e-Government
Objectives: provide concrete examples from the region in E-agriculture progress and challenges focusing on e-services for farmers as part of e-Government; discuss and conclude on the challenges and priorities of e-agriculture strategy, interoperability, capacity development needs
Facilitator:

14.00-15.15

• Azeribaijan, e-Agriculture project, Ilham Bayramov
• Moldova, e-Agriculture project, Andrei Timus
• Albania, Single Window and e-Strategy, Petrit Dobi
• TFYR Macedonia, IACS, LPIS, MASIS, Miso Manev
• Montenegro, FADN FAO project, Szilard Keszthelyi
• Turkey, Agricultural Sector Integrated Management Information System, Aygül Çagdaş
• Hungary, Digital Agriculture Strategy, Andras Nyirő, Csava Pesti

15.15-15.30

Coffee break

15.30-17.00

Session continued
Round table Discussion
• Are the countries in the region facing common challenges in formulation and implementation of national e-agriculture strategies (or elements of it, such as e-government)? Name a few.
• What are the factors and incentives to motivate the MoAs to take ownership of the development of E-agriculture strategies?
• How to move towards e-agriculture platforms vs. in silo solutions?
• What good practice of valuable experience, presented today would you like to borrow?

18.00-22.00

Visit Visegrad Castle, Palace and the Renaissance restaurant

23 June 2016 Thursday

Session: E-agriculture for smallholders and family farmers
Objectives: the session will discuss and provide guidance on how to maximize benefits and minimize the risks of using ICTs for stallholders and family farms
Facilitation technique: short presentations and workgroup discussions
Facilitator: Katalin Ludvig, FAO

9.00-10.30

Needs, solutions, gaps and opportunities. Examples, good practices and lessons learnt.
• FAO REU Regional initiative “Empowering smallholders and family farms in Europe and Central Asia”, Katalin Ludvig
• Armenia: ICTs from the perspective of a strawberry greenhouse family farm, Arman Manukyan
• ICT services for smallholders by the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture, Akos Vagner
• Interoperable information management solution for buffalo breeders in Hungary, Laszlo Papocsi

10.30-10.45

Coffee break

10.45-12.00

Workgroup discussions
• What are the development constraints of the smallholder and family farmers in Europe and Central Asia?
• What are their knowledge and information needs?
• What is the potential of ICTs in general and e-Agriculture strategies in particular to merge the development gaps?
• What are the challenges to release this potential in the region?
• What recommendations can be formulated, including when preparing a national e-Agriculture strategy?
• What concrete actions can be taken immediately after the expert consultation?
   1. What are the development constrains of smallholders and family farmers in Europe and Central Asia?
   2. What are the opportunities and threats for smallholders in using ICTs?
   3. What are the recommendations to improve the ICT opportunities for farmers, which could be incorporated in the national e-Agriculture Strategy?
   4. What concrete actions should be taken after the expert consultation?

12.00-12.30

Reporting of the working groups

12.30-13.30

Lunch

Session: Gender aspects of the use of ICTs
Objectives: the session will discuss and provide guidance on gender aspects and necessary skills of using ICTs in agriculture and rural development
Facilitation technique: panel discussion
Moderator: Aroa Santiago Bautista, FAO REU Gender team

13.30- 15.00

Panel members:
• Suzana Dimitrievska, owner, Organic Farm ‘Lipa', FYR Macedonia
• Timea Reszkető, EIP expert, Chamber of Agriculture, Hungary
• Sophie Treinen, FAO Office for Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Development (OPC)

A) Introduction
B) Panelists responding to six questions of the moderator:
1. What is the potential of the ICTs to support rural women's economic and social environment?
2. Which challenges are rural women and women farmers experiencing to have access and to benefit from ICTs? Which can be the solutions to those problems?
3. What can be done at policy level to address the mentioned challenges and opportunities? Which specific measures can be proposed? are there any risks for rural women and women farmers if gender issues are not considered in the promoting of ICTs in agriculture and rural development?
4. Which capacity development measures and activities are necessary to close the gender gap in e-agriculture? To whom this capacity development needs have to be addressed?
5. In interventions to achieve gender equality, there is usually a gap between policy design /legislation and implementation. Which measures are necessary to close this gap?
6. Which are the major recommendations that you would raise to ensure that from ICTs benefit both men and women and that ICTs contribute to closing the gender gap?

C) Summary

15.00-15.30

Coffee break

15.30-16.30

Session continued

16.30-22.00

Professional excursion
Visit to Apple Farm, Ms Ilonka Orban; Hungarian Buffalo Farm, Mr Jozsef, Santha; tasting of meat products in Szob; Professor Feher in his summer residence.
Social dinner in Nagymaros

24 June 2016 Friday

8.30-10.00

Conclusions and recommendations from the sessions

10.00-10.15

Coffee break

Session: Private sector perspectives
Objectives: the session will explore the views of some companies in the region that provide ICT solutions in agriculture, their challenges and will formulate recommendations with respect to national E-agriculture strategies for sustainable family farming and their main stakeholders Facilitator:

10.15- 11.15

Private sector perspective
• Blagoja Mukanov TFYR Macedonia
• Marcel Kovac, Slovak Republic, Graphx
• Nikola Trendov, SzIE Godollo
• Other invited service providers

11.15-12.00

Next steps and follow-up actions

Facilitator: Nevena Alexandrova-Stefanova, FAO

12.00-12.30

Closure of the expert consultation

12.30- 13.30

Lunch