This week, agriculture and energy sector players from Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda met at the Distributed Renewable Energy Ecosystem Model (DREEM) Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The conference aims to share lessons and best practices on scaling the productive use of renewable energy in agrifood systems across the region.

Convened by the Mott Foundation, Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) and other partners, Under the theme, “Financing an Ecosystem of Agrisolar Entrepreneurs in East Africa.”, the DREEM Conference reviewed the different pathways and identified strategies to develop sustainable productive use of renewable energy or agrisolar ecosystems in the project countries.

The DREEM Conference is a testament to the power of collaboration and knowledge sharing across East Africa, by convening innovators, financing institutions, and other ecosystem players, they aim to unlock the full potential of renewable energy solutions to transform agricultural practices and drive sustainable development in the region.

Throughout the two-day event, participants engaged in riveting speeches, roundtable discussions, and eye-opening entrepreneurial testimonies. The discussions centered on unlocking financing challenges in the agrisolar entrepreneurship space, acknowledging self-imposed obstacles, addressing policy incoherence across the region, and leveraging innovations and technologies to transform communities. The DREEM Conference has been a crucial step in bringing together the key players to chart a path forward and turn this dream into a reality.

The conference organizers plan to publish a thought paper arising from the discussions, sharing the insights and strategies identified during the event. The DREEM Conference 2024 has highlighted the immense potential of the East African community to collaborate and drive the productive use of renewable energy in the agriculture sector.