{"id":7277,"date":"2026-10-20T14:23:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodsafety4africa.eu\/?p=7277"},"modified":"2026-10-20T14:23:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:23:58","slug":"synergy-days-2026-building-data-bridges-for-fair-and-resilient-food-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodsafety4africa.eu\/ar\/synergy-days-2026-building-data-bridges-for-fair-and-resilient-food-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"Synergy Days 2026: Building data bridges for fair and resilient food systems"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 20 and 21 October 2026<\/strong>, the European and international agri-food innovation community will come together in Kilkenny, Ireland, for the Synergy Days 2026<\/a>. The event offers FS4Africa an important platform for connecting its work and experiences with other projects, innovation hubs, policymakers, researchers, technology providers and representatives of the farming community.<\/p>\n

A particularly relevant part of the programme is the plenary session \u201cEU\u2013Global South Data Bridges for Resilient & Fair Food Systems\u201d, <\/strong>which will explore how data, public data infrastructures, digital solutions and artificial intelligence can help build food systems that are not only more resilient, but also more inclusive and equitable.<\/p>\n

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Moving beyond one-way technology transfer<\/h4>\n

The idea of a \u201cdata bridge\u201d is particularly relevant to cooperation between Europe and Africa. Such a bridge should not be understood as a one-way transfer of European technology or expertise. It should instead facilitate mutual learning, knowledge exchange and the joint development of solutions that respond to different farming systems, institutional settings and local priorities.<\/p>\n

Europe can contribute experience with agricultural data spaces, interoperability, data governance, responsible artificial intelligence and digital innovation hubs. African partners, in turn, bring extensive knowledge of smallholder agriculture, locally embedded innovation, advisory systems and the practical application of digital solutions under diverse infrastructure and market conditions.<\/p>\n

Combining these experiences can create a stronger basis for developing digital solutions that are locally relevant and can be adapted or scaled across different contexts. This requires African stakeholders to participate not only as users or beneficiaries, but also as co-designers, data stewards, innovators and decision-makers.<\/p>\n

A meeting point for Africa-related projects and initiatives<\/h4>\n

Synergy Days provides an opportunity for FS4Africa to connect with projects and initiatives working on Africa, the wider Global South and international cooperation in digital agriculture. The plenary session will highlight global and regional initiatives such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations\u2019 Digital Agriculture and AI Innovation Roadmap, AI for Food Systems, the Science, Technology and Innovation Portal, the ATIO knowledge base, Digital Agri Hub, and experiences from Smart Agri Hubs and other digital and innovation hubs in the Global South.<\/p>\n

The session\u2019s proposed outcomes include a partnership framework connecting European and Global South agricultural innovation hubs, an implementation toolkit for digital agriculture and responsible AI, and recommendations for policymakers, service providers and farmer organisations. These outcomes could help projects move beyond networking towards practical cooperation, shared resources, joint pilots and continued exchange between regions.<\/p>\n

For FS4Africa, engagement with these initiatives offers an opportunity to compare experiences, identify complementary capabilities and explore how lessons generated in different projects can be applied in future activities. It can also help prevent individual projects from developing isolated tools and platforms that are difficult to sustain after project funding ends.<\/p>\n

From digital tools to functioning innovation ecosystems<\/h4>\n

The discussions in Kilkenny are supported by recent research on Digital Innovation Ecosystems in agri-food[i]<\/a>. These ecosystems bring together farmers, businesses, technology providers, research organisations, public authorities, investors and civil-society organisations through shared data, infrastructures, governance arrangements, financing and learning mechanisms.<\/p>\n

The central message is that digital transformation cannot be achieved by introducing technology alone. Even a technically promising application will struggle to gain traction if farmers do not trust how data are used, systems cannot exchange information, local organisations lack implementation capacity or viable financing is unavailable.<\/p>\n

These priorities offer a useful lens for the dialogue between FS4Africa and other participating projects. They direct attention away from individual applications and towards the wider conditions needed for innovations to deliver sustained value.<\/p>\n

Starting with the first mile<\/h4>\n

For African food systems, one of the most important insights concerns first-mile digitalisation. Farmers need accessible ways to establish and manage basic information such as farmer and plot identifiers, consent, production records and transactions. These elements can provide a foundation for advisory services, traceability, food-safety management, market access and participation in more transparent value chains.<\/p>\n

However, first-mile digitalisation should not create another administrative burden for farmers. Digital solutions should be affordable, understandable and usable under conditions of intermittent connectivity. They should be integrated with training, extension and advisory services, and supported by trusted local intermediaries such as farmer organisations, cooperatives and innovation hubs.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, farmers must be able to see a clear benefit. Better services, lower transaction costs, reduced compliance burdens and improved market opportunities are more compelling reasons to participate than data collection for its own sake.<\/p>\n

Trust, farmer agency and responsible data use<\/h4>\n

Data bridges will only be sustainable when they are built on trust. Farmers and other value-chain actors need clarity about who is collecting data, for which purpose, under which conditions and how the resulting value will be distributed.<\/p>\n

This places data governance at the centre of EU\u2013Africa cooperation. Practical arrangements are needed for informed consent, access control, transparency, data portability and accountability. The recent expert assessment also emphasises the importance of farmer representation in ecosystem governance and of neutral convenors that can balance different interests and address power asymmetries.<\/p>\n

The same applies to artificial intelligence. AI can support analysis and decision-making, but credible adoption requires high-quality data, transparent communication about limitations, validation under realistic conditions and meaningful involvement of end users. Responsible AI should therefore be embedded in project design and implementation rather than treated as an assessment at the end of the process.<\/p>\n

Turning dialogue into lasting collaboration<\/h4>\n

The value of Synergy Days will ultimately depend on what happens after the event. The plenary session can help move EU\u2013Global South cooperation from a collection of individual projects towards a more connected digital innovation ecosystem.<\/p>\n

For FS4Africa, this means using the event to identify concrete opportunities for cooperation with other Africa-related projects and initiatives, exchange practical approaches and contribute African experiences to international debates about data and AI governance.<\/p>\n

The ambition should not be simply to transfer technologies across continents. It should be to co-create the infrastructures, capabilities, governance arrangements and partnerships through which digital innovation can contribute to fairer and more resilient food systems.<\/p>\n

Synergy Days 2026 offers a timely opportunity to take this agenda forward. By bringing together European and Global South experiences, the event can help build data bridges that connect not only systems and platforms, but also people, knowledge and innovation communities.<\/p>\n

[i]<\/a> Wolfert, S., Klerkx, L., Schober, G., Fielke, S., Rijswijk, K., Gardezie, M., Neuberger, S., Dara, R., Athanasiadish, I. N., Turner, J. A., Marie, A., Trendov, N., Isakhanyan, G., Verdouw, C., Dolfsma, W., Sharif, S., & Riegler-Nurscher, P. (2026). Digital Innovation Ecosystems in Agri-Food: an expert assessment of global trends and developments. NJAS – Impact in Agricultural and Life Sciences, 98(1), 2725457. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/27685241.2026.2725457<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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