AFICAT: Africa Field Innovation Center for Agricultural Technology

What is AFICAT?

Background

The “Africa Field Innovation Center for Agricultural Technology” (AFICAT) was proposed at the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) held in 2019. AFICAT aims to enhance agricultural productivity, promote quality of agricultural products, and empower farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its unique approach emphasizes fostering collaboration between African and Japanese public and private sectors, leveraging advanced agricultural technologies—especially agricultural machinery developed by Japanese companies for rice production—to achieve these objectives.

Following preparatory surveys, AFICAT has been operational since 2022 in five countries, namely, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, which demonstrate significant potential for rice production and economic growth. Through AFICAT, JICA is dedicated to advancing the agricultural sector in Africa.

Seven Functions

AFICAT has seven core functions to promote the introduction of Japanese advanced agricultural technologies into Africa, supporting both public and private sector entities in Japan and Africa.

1) Advice

  • Providing guidance on agricultural policies and facilitating technology demonstrations.
  • Offering business advice to Japanese companies.
  • Delivering technical advice on agricultural mechanization and machinery.

2) Exhibition, Validation, and Demonstration

  • Organizing exhibitions and seminars showcasing Japanese products and technologies.
  • Conducting small-scale demonstrations and verifications of Japanese technologies.

3) Verification of Business Models and Value Chains

  • Implementing large-scale demonstrations and verifications.
  • Renting rice mills to local enterprises and calculating total operational costs.

4) Linkages to Financial Institutions

  • Collecting and sharing information on financial schemes for agricultural inputs and machinery.
  • Promoting the development of financial projects such as Two-Step Loans (TSL) and Overseas Investment and Loan Projects.

5) Innovation Lab

  • Facilitating research and development of Japanese technologies by companies and research institutes.
  • Assessing the applicability of new technologies, the compatibility of existing products, and the feasibility of local manufacturing.

6) Public Relations

  • Disseminating the results of demonstrations and verifications.
  • Sharing information about the African market with Japanese companies.

7) Human Resource Development

  • Developing a wide range of human resources, including policymakers for agriculture and agricultural mechanization, as well as technicians for agricultural machinery.

Products and Technologies

AFICAT Company List

under construction