AGRA

Nairobi, Kenya – AGRA has announced the opening of applications for the second cohort for the Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA)’s Advanced Leadership Programme. Designed for rising stars and established executives from across Africa’s agriculture sector in government, the private sector, and civil society, the programme is the continent’s premier leadership programme tailored for developing leaders to advance sustainable agriculture sector priorities. The programme’s application window, which is open from April 19 to June 3 2022, will result in the selection of 80 top applicants from eight focus countries – Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. 

“In these times of crisis, leadership has never been more important in mitigating crisis, and strengthening resilience.  CALA will help leaders develop the skills they need to take the continent through tough times and work for prosperous food systems,” said AGRA President, Dr. Agnes Kalibata.

The Centre’s highly competitive Advanced Leadership Programme is a 16-month learning journey that emphasizes collaborative and practical experience focused on supporting leaders to advance their professional skills and contribute to flagship programs to achieve progress toward agriculture transformation. 

CALA is an AGRA-led initiative and is delivered in collaboration with implementing partners including the African Management Institute (AMI), CALA’s lead implementation and learning partner, and USAID’s Policy LINK. Policy LINK has led the design and rollout of the leadership programme’s coaching component

“At AMI we believe leadership is fundamental to the success of any organisation, whether it’s a business, civil society organization, or government,” said Rebecca Harrison, CEO and Co-founder of AMI. “We know that to drive transformation, leaders must be highly-skilled in cross-sector collaboration, be able to lead high-functioning teams, and be positioned to adjust to change and future challenges. We’ve tailored CALA’s learning approach to meet the unique needs of Africa’s ambitious leaders in agriculture and put them in a position to practically apply what they are learning, to take advantage of their limited time. The results we’re already seeing in the CALA Advanced Leadership Programme are heartening and we’re excited to bring on the next cohort.” 

During the programme, cohort members participate in virtual learning sessions with sector peers and benefit from CALA’s unique approach to on-the-job and executive and group coaching, which emphasizes local knowledge and individual learning styles. 

“We are fortunate to call upon the talents of an accomplished cadre representing Africa’s professional coaching community,” said Steve Smith, Chief of Party of the USAID Policy LINK program, which is leading the CALA coaching program. “Through them, our executive and team coaching utilizes a variety of leadership tools and methodologies geared toward enabling each leader to reflect, learn, and grow.”

Among the programme’s offerings are four Leadership Forums with experts from across the continent and globe. Participants will also have access to CALA’s comprehensive library of online leadership courses and derive lessons and best practices from case studies of ‘Game-changers’ spurring Agricultural transformation in Africa and the global south. By the end of the programme, within CALA’s unique Action Learning Project format, participants will have delivered on a collaborative keystone project working with peers from their country cohort to deliver on a key sector transformation project. The projects will be linked to each of the participants’ job objectives and country transformation objectives.

CALA’s inaugural cohort was selected from over 1,000 applicants and began in August 2021. The inaugural cohort consists of 80 individuals from the eight focus countries and boasts a wide representation with 44% participants from governments, 31% from the private sector, and 25% from civil society organizations. The participation of women leaders is also of note, accounting for nearly half of the inaugural cohort. Recruitment of the second cohort will focus on achieving similar outcomes. 

For more information or to apply visit: https://cala.agra.org/programme/cala-advanced-leadership-programme/  

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Contact:

Rebecca Weaver, Acting Head of Communications – AGRA

rweaver@agra.org

About CALA

The Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA), an AGRA-led initiative, supports sector leaders to deliver on top national priorities in African agriculture and nutrition security. These leaders represent a wide range of key actors from across government, private sector and civil society. CALA was conceptualized by AGRA and is implemented in collaboration with the African Management Institute (AMI) and USAID’s Policy LINK, with funding from the German Development Cooperation through the KfW Development Bank.

For more information visit: http://cala.agra.org  

About AGRA

Founded in 2006, AGRA, is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent.

About the African Management Institute (AMI)

AMI enables ambitious businesses and leaders across Africa to thrive, through practical tools and training. We equip leaders with tools to build their business, help companies train their teams and run work readiness programmes for young people starting their careers. AMI’s programmes combine online and mobile tools with in-person workshops and on-the-job practice and support. AMI has directly trained over 35,000 people in over 39 countries. AMI has offices in Nairobi, Kenya, Kigali, Rwanda, and Johannesburg, South Africa.

About Policy LINK

Policy LINK is a global Feed the Future program that strengthens the leadership capacity of public, private, and civil society actors and fosters collective action among them for better policy systems. Feed the Future is America’s global hunger and food security initiative, led by USAID.

NAIROBI, March 31, 2022 – Access to financial services and increasing productivity on small farms are priority concerns for businesses in the continent’s agricultural sector, according to the Africa Agribusiness Outlook 2022 report. The report also indicates rising concerns about climate change among the business community, which is the biggest threat to agricultural production in the continent. Promoting climate smart agriculture was identified as a top priority by the small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) as a key driver for transformation and development of resilience.

The report, which is jointly produced by AGRA and KPMG East Africa, indicates that SMEs in the sector want more flexible financing structures that support business growth while providing flexibility in responding to market shocks and emerging innovations. They also want policy actions to be introduced to transform the agriculture sector and boost productivity. Weak policy, legal and regulatory environments were identified as a barrier to growth in the sector and SMEs called for a more enabling environment to support their operations and growth. 

The Africa Agribusiness Outlook 2022 is the second edition of the annual report, developed from surveys with agribusinesses in 13 countries across the continent on how to improve the growth, investment, and competitiveness of agricultural SMEs. The report serves as a barometer, providing insights into priority areas for the private sector, which if resolved will boost investment into the sector and help them scale and become more competitive.

Speaking during the launch of the report, AGRA’s president, Dr. Agnes Kalibata said: “Agribusiness holds the key to Africa’s economic recovery in a challenging world. The resilience and determination of the continent’s agribusinesses to keep moving forward are inspiring. At AGRA, we are committed to supporting the development of policies and innovative financial solutions to help address challenges that SMEs and businesses in general continue to face.”

The report notes that increasing agricultural output is key for the continent’s economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic. The agribusinesses faulted financial services providers for setting near- impossible terms and conditions for accessing financing even when they qualify. They recommended that the private commercial finance institutions and donors, including philanthropists, consider blending finance to create concessional finance that delivers sufficient returns and provides the necessary patient capital that so many agribusinesses require.

Benson Ndung’u, Chief Executive Officer and Senior Partner at KPMG East Africa noted: “Any response to any challenge that the agricultural sector faces, requires a systemic multi-sectoral approach. Collaborations and partnerships will help drive agricultural transformation since they lead to knowledge sharing which is key for Africa’s agribusinesses in supporting the building of healthier, more sustainable and more equitable food systems.”

With agribusiness leaders showing concerns about the effects of climate change on the sector, the Report recommends that businesses develop innovative solutions which will enhance resilience to impacts of climate change. These include implementing and scaling business models and innovations that reduce the risk of climate change and ecological damage.

According to the Africa Agribusiness Outlook 2022, SMEs are also keen on increased investments in affordable smart technologies for small farms as part of a measure to transform agriculture on the continent. The businesses, even well-established, mid-sized, high-growth, high-potential businesses, would like obstacles removed from their expansion into regional and international markets, which are critical to achieving scale. Knowledge gaps emerged as a major challenge facing agribusinesses in Africa today with sixty percent of the CEOs mentioning investment in people as one of the key agribusiness investment priorities.

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For more information on the Africa Agribusiness Outlook report, please visit agra.org/agribusinessoutlook. For media inquiries, please contact: Rebecca Weaver, rweaver@agra.org|ssanghrajka@kpmg.co.ke| agra@hudsonsandler.com 

Notes to Editors:

About Africa Agribusiness Outlook survey 

The annual Africa Agribusiness Outlook is a survey that is conducted annually on agribusiness CEOs by KPMG to gain insights into their top priorities, how they are addressing challenges, and what they see as opportunities.

The second edition focused on the enabling environment for agribusinesses, specifically targeted an increased number of female leaders, and expanded its geographic scope to cover 13 focus countries, up from 7 in the 2020 inaugural Survey.  

What are the top priorities for agribusiness as identified by the survey?

• More flexible financing structures for agriculture and agribusiness sector to support business growth and provide flexibility to respond to market shocks and emerging innovation
• Increased productivity on small farms. 
• Catalytic financing for the entire agricultural value chain, not just technology 
• Blended finance initiatives for agribusinesses 
• Increase access to small affordable smart technologies for small farms 
• Promotion of climate-smart agriculture as a key driver for transformation and development of resilience 
• Increased public-private initiatives that fund and accelerate developments in the agribusiness space 
• Develop inclusive supply chains involving smallholder farmers. This is critical to our sourcing and risk management strategy
• Access to finance for climate adaptation initiatives or climate-smart agriculture in the supply chain and at the company level 
• Develop multi-stakeholder platforms and partnerships for driving agricultural transformation

Which sectors in agribusiness?

Key sub-sectors represented in the survey include Agriculture production, processing, trading, financial services, information services and technology, logistics and retail.

About AGRA

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. Together with our partners, we catalyze and sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation to increase incomes and improve food security for 30 million farming households in 11 African countries by 2021.

About KPMG International

KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services. KPMG is the brand under which the member firms of KPMG International Limited (“KPMG International”) operate and provide professional services. “KPMG” is used to refer to individual member firms within the KPMG organization or to one or more member firms collectively. KPMG firms operate in 145 countries and territories with more than 236,000 partners and employees working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. Each KPMG member firm is responsible for its obligations and liabilities. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients. Our East Africa practice comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. KPMG East Africa firm has 23 partners and over 1000 professional staff. The Nairobi office serves as the regional coordinating office providing the required networking to facilitate the delivery of services on a timely basis to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations. 

Nairobi: March 30, 2022 – AGRA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enhance the agricultural transformation in Africa to create jobs, boost trade, strengthen resilience, and transform economies.

Through the MOU, AGRA and USDA intend to collaborate across several areas including: coordinating research on seed, soil and water technologies; training to ensure farmers have the capacity to be effective producers; enhancing each other’s existing programs and activities. The work aims to benefit Africa’s smallholder farmers, their families and the food and agricultural systems. AGRA and USDA under the MOU plan to promote the adoption, application, and uptake of science and technologies and enhance African farmers’ access to markets and participation in trade.

AGRA’s Board Chair, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, former Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, said this is a significant partnership that aims to further improve smallholder farmers’ potential.

“USDA has a wealth of experience in the agricultural sector and together, we will further address the issues around food and agricultural systems that will enhance people’s livelihoods. Together we will respond to national and regional food security and trade priorities. I’m confident that our collaboration will accelerate employment, trade and strengthen resilience across the African continent.”

“We are pleased to sign this MOU with AGRA to support inclusive agricultural transformation in Africa, enhance economic success for African farmers, improve food security and climate change adaptation and preparedness, and increase regional and international agricultural trade,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We hope this partnership between USDA and AGRA will lead to increased tools available to farmers everywhere, but particularly on the African continent, to sustainably increase agricultural production.”

Smallholder farmers will significantly benefit by leveraging USDA’s expertise, commitment, and support for Africa’s agricultural sector and AGRA’s existing research, knowledge and network in Africa. The combination between two great agricultural-focused organizations will see a significant impact to smallholders across Africa. AGRA and USDA will seek to provide farmers access to USDA’s extensive work on plant and crop breeding; its tools, technology and data that will make food and agricultural systems more resilient under climate change; and its new technologies and resources to improve food safety and reduce food loss and waste.

Young men and women in agriculture and agribusiness are critical for the sustainable future of the industry and much of the continent. A critical element of the MoU will see the partnership promote involvement of young men and women along the entire value chain using the partnership’s wealth of knowledge, resources, and experience in incorporating youth in the food and agricultural sector.

The MoU shines light on the importance of more funding for agriculture in Africa to ensure African countries can sustainably feed people across Africa. USDA continues to invest and raise the profile of the issues surrounding agriculture in Africa, especially in the build-up to COP27 in Egypt late in 2022.

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About AGRA

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. Together with our partners, we catalyze and sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation to increase incomes and improve food security in 11 countries.

More information: https://agra.org   Rebecca Weaver, rweaver@agra.org

Nairobi: March 28 2022 – AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) has today announced the appointment of six new members to its Board, bolstering the organisation even further to accomplish its mission as it prepares a strategy that is focused on advancing the 2030 agenda in Africa.  

The new Board members are: Ms. Ada Osakwe, an agriprenuer with experience in private equity, investments and government; Ms. Binta Touré Ndoye, who has had a distinguished career in banking; Ambassador David Lane, a diplomat with deep experience promoting policy reforms in food security and development; Ms. Delphine Traoré Maidou, a global leader with expertise in strategy and risk management; Ms. Mallika Srinivasan, with rich experience in manufacture of farm machinery; and Dr. Roy Steiner, who is leading efforts to enhance access to nourishing food across the world.

The appointments, effective immediately, are meant to strengthen AGRA’s role as an African institution that is committed to advancing inclusive agriculture and food systems transformation.

AGRA’s Board bears the overarching responsibility to its stakeholders, employees and the public good. It provides strategic guidance to the organisation, maintains independent oversight of activities and ensures effective governance at all levels.

Commenting on the appointments, AGRA’s Board Chair, H.E Hailemariam Dessalegn said: “I am delighted to welcome six new independent members to the Board. Each member’s unique expertise and track record in driving value will be critical for AGRA as we head towards our 2030 strategic period where we want to accelerate agricultural and food system transformation in Africa particularly, the local SMES, the smallholder farmers and the communities they serve. I look forward to working with them”.

Brief profiles of the new board members:

Ms. Ada Osakwe

Her career in private equity and investments and experience working in government, as Founder and CEO of Agrolay Ventures and as Founder of Nuli Juice brings invaluable insights to the Board from the perspective of a female African entrepreneur in the agricultural value chain. This is exciting for AGRA as we push for systemic interventions that result in transformation in our countries. Her role as Generation Africa Ambassador and on the AfDB’s President’s Advisory Group on ‘Jobs for Africa’s Youth’ makes her greatly placed to effectively contribute and provide learnings on how AGRA can continuously make agriculture a viable economic enterprise for our youth.

Ms. Binta Touré Ndoye

Her distinguished banking career in one of AGRA’s focus countries and her great work as CEO of Oragroup Bank will give AGRA an opportunity to lean on for critical learnings. As CEO of Oragroup, she steered the bank’s growth of SMEs through digitalization. This presents a fantastic learning opportunity for AGRA as we are keen to double down on digitization and private sector partnerships in pushing our mission for agricultural transformation on the continent.

Ambassador David Lane

He has had a distinguished career in leadership of government and global non-profit organizations for more than 20 years and he is the President of The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands since September 2016. Before that, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies (FAO, WFP & IFAD) in Rome, promoting policy reforms in the areas of food security and development. He served in both President Clinton’s and President Obama’s Administrations and was President and CEO of the ONE Campaign, a global advocacy organization focused on global health, economic development, and effective governance. Before that, he served in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading its public policy and advocacy efforts.

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a thinktank and publisher, and serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan policy research center.He brings his strategic thought leadership to the Board.

Ms. Delphine Traoré Maidou

Her distinguished career as a global leader with expertise in strategy and risk management and serving on the Board of Allianz, makes her an invaluable resource we will lean on for guidance. With the ever-present threat of climate change, AGRA is keen to get climate adaptation and resilience right in our new Strategy and we believe her insights will help us de-risk these areas for our farmers and exponentially increase the farmers’ yields and livelihoods.

Ms. Mallika Srinivasan

She has had an exemplary career over the last 25 years in establishing Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) a key player in the agriculture value chain through its mass manufacture of tractors and farm machinery. In AGRA’s work over the last decade one of the things we have been seeking to strengthen in the value chain are the input systems which include not only seeds and fertilizers but also mechanization. Her role on the Boards of AGCO Corporation (USA), TATA Steel Limited, U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) and as the Chairperson of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) in India among many other board memberships, will be invaluable in providing thought leadership to the AGRA Board. Mallika sits on several boards, and is presently the Chairman and Managing Director of Tractors and Farms Equipment Ltd (TAFE). She brings in invaluable lessons from her work in India and her deep understanding of the sector.

Dr. Roy Steiner

Roy Steiner, PhD, is the Senior Vice President for the Food Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation, where he leads a team focused on creating access to nourishing food for millions of people in the U.S. and around the world, supporting scientific advances in human nutrition and sustainable food production, and carrying forward the Foundation’s enduring commitment to a sustainable Green Revolution in Africa. Roy joined The Rockefeller Foundation from the Omidyar Network, where he served as Director of the Intellectual Capital team since 2015, focused on helping Omidyar achieve its strategic objectives at all levels including in the agriculture space. He dedicated nearly a decade of his career to leadership positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he was a founding member of the Agricultural Development Initiative and was instrumental in working on AGRA’s formation with The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Roy has previously served on the AGRA Board and is now rejoining the AGRA Board as a full board member.

End.

About AGRA

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. Together with our partners, we catalyze and sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation to increase incomes and improve food security in 11 countries.

More information: https://agra.org/  Annette Kahama, akahama@agra.org

Nairobi: March 21, 2022 – AGRA has begun accepting applications for the 2022 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA), which recognizes female entrepreneurs excelling in different segments of the agricultural value chain.

To qualify, entrepreneurs need to have an innovative product or service in the agriculture value chain with evidence of impact on their communities and countries. Submissions are being received on the WAYA website until May 31 in three categories: young female agripreneur; outstanding value-adding enterprise and female Ag tech innovator. Winners will be announced at the AGRF Summit 2022, slated for 5-7 September in Kigali, each receiving a cash prize of USD20,000.

AGRA’s President, Dr. Agnes Kalibata noted that the WAYA programme is part of the VALUE4HER initiative that aims to address constraints faced by women in accessing productive resources and business opportunities.

“Women provide up to 50% of agricultural labour force, contribute up to 70% of food production, and account for 80% of food processors. They represent a crucial resource in agriculture and the rural economy through their roles as farmers, laborers, and entrepreneurs. However, they are faced with constraints limiting their full participation. AGRA’s interventions through the VALUE4HER initiatives are strengthening women’s agribusiness enterprises and increasing voice and urgency across Africa,” Dr Kalibata added. 

The VALUE4HER program is focused on increasing the performance of women agripreneurs by facilitating access to markets and trade, finance, and investments, as well as opportunities for tailored online and offline matchmaking activities, learning, networking, and global advocacy.  

The 2021 WAYA inaugural award celebrated Dr. Hajia Salamatu the Founder and Executive Director of WOFAN in Nigeria, Beatrice Nkatha Mmunyi the Founder and MD of Sorghum Pioneer Agencies in Kenya and Linda Kudakwashe Manyeza the Founding Director of Food Masters South Africa. 

Building on lessons from engaging with women agriprenuers across the continent, AGRA seeks to encourage countries to invest strategically in women’s development, strengthening the private sector enabling environment, and building evidence-based participatory processes that will advance inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led growth, resilience, and nutrition.

 The VALUE4HER initiative presents an opportunity to deliver inclusive economic growth, jobs, and health to the African continent by supporting women agriprenuers across the continent. 

–Ends–

About AGRA

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. Together with our partners, we catalyse and sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation to increase incomes and improve food security in 11 countries.

More information: https://agra.org/ |  Rebecca Weaver, rweaver@agra.org

Lilongwe: March 17, 2022 – The Government of Malawi has signed a host country agreement with AGRA (the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) reaffirming support for implementation of its programmes in the country.

The agreement will also grant AGRA diplomatic status in Malawi, once the legal process is completed, including gazettement.  

Speaking during the signing of the agreement, Malawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Nancy Gladys Tembo pledged her ministry’s support in facilitating smooth operations of AGRA, noting that with climate and resilience among its focus areas, it would help tackle Tropical Cyclone Ana which one of the emerging issues affecting livelihoods in the country.

“There has to be a way of addressing challenges faced by people in the Lower Shire Valley who refuse to move to the Upper land because of land ownership issues. We can still encourage them to relocate to the upper areas and allow them to use their flood-prone land for agricultural production and irrigation. We have not been harvesting water which can be put into good use for irrigation and other productive purposes. We also need to emphasize the role of private sector as a key focus to transform agriculture and Malawi’s economy” Tembo said.

AGRA’s Country Manager, Sophie Lusungu Chitedze said: “AGRA’s support going forward aims at enabling cross-ministerial collaboration and multistakeholder implementation of the agriculture and food systems transformation in Malawi, where the role of private sector is key”.

AGRA has been operating in Malawi since 2006, as one of the initial 11 focus countries. Initially, it implemented individual projects through local partners before it shifted to facilitating an agricultural transformation agenda in 2017 to drive impact at scale through targeted catalytic investments around government policy and state capability strengthening, agricultural systems strengthening, and facilitation of effective public-private partnerships. 

Ms Chitedze noted that AGRA’s role has been that of identifying gaps in the agriculture sector and contributing towards unlocking the potential for agriculture transformation at scale using a highly consultative process that avoids duplication, while promoting an integrated approach to catalyse resources for more investments for scalable agriculture models. 

“We have done so as a convener, facilitator and catalyst or neutral broker that puts government at the centre of leading the transformation agenda,” she added. 

AGRA is also a founding partner of the African Agriculture Transformation Initiative (AATI) together with IFAD, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and McKinsey, which aims at supporting African governments to close the gap between their agriculture transformation strategies and execution. This is by supporting the set-up of dedicated agriculture transformation delivery units for poverty reduction, food security and climate resilience for smallholder farmers under Agenda 2063 and the first pillar on Agriculture Productivity and Commercialization. 

—Ends

About AGRA

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. Together with our partners, we catalyse and sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation to increase incomes and improve food security in 11 countries.
More information: https://agra.org/|  Rebecca Weaver, rweaver@agra.org|