How can we improve farmers’ access to innovative technology?

Patience Koku, a farmer from Nigeria and Global Farmer Network member, spoke at CFS46 about the agricultural innovations she is particularly excited about, discussing the biotechnology trials she is conducting on her farm and the importance of holistic funding efforts to improve farmers’ access to technology. Video credit: FarmingFirst.

Onyaole Patience Koku

Patience's farm is located on the Jere Azara irrigation scheme, Kagarko Local government, in Kaduna State Nigeria. The farm is 500 hectares of leased land and produces two crops annually under center pivot irrigation. They grow mostly seed corn for Monsanto and corn grain for major food processing companies in Nigeria, like Flour Mills of Nigeria. She is the recipient of the 2019 Kleckner Award from the Global Farmer Network and 2018 Cornell Alliance For Science Farmer of the year. She also serves on the Cornell Alliance For Science advisory board. In her short time as a member of the GFN, she has already advocated on major stages, including at The 2019 GES summit, a side event of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Committee of World Food Security in Rome, Italy and at the Future of Farming Dialogue in Monheim, Germany.