AGRA

• H.E. Dessalegn paid a courtesy call to H.E. Chakwera to discuss matters around food system transformation
• H.E.  Dessalegn pitched a Malawian Agricultural Transformation Agency, which H.E. President Chakwera agreed to, promising support in fast-tracking it

August 2, 2022: Lilongwe, Malawi – The former Prime Minister of Ethiopia and current Board Chairman of AGRA, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, on Monday, 1^st August 2022 met with Malawi’s President H.E. Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, for dialogue on his country’s food system priorities.

During the meeting, H.E. Dessalegn recognized H.E. Chakwera’s work in advancing agriculture as a key priority for the development of his country, citing the prominent position of the sector in his Agenda 2063 first 10 year plan.

The AGRA Chair further commended President Chakwera’s leadership in the development and articulation of Malawi’s food system pathways, game changing solutions and commitment to a holistic food system transformation that delivers on the 2030 Agenda.

In addition, H.E. Dessalegn proposed the establishment of an Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) in Malawi.

“We need multiple agencies to work together and this calls for an institution to have binding effect on delivery. ATA is an important institution that IFAD, AGRA, BMGF and McKinsey are supporting to establish to unlock bottlenecks by Malawian institutions… Support can be accessed through the ATA on transforming the economy through the establishment of agro-processing areas to double production and resolve market and processing issues as was experienced in Ethiopia through the ATA,” said H.E. Dessalegn.

In response, H.E. President Chakwera said:

“Working with AGRA is a great advantage for us as a nation that will enable it not only to feed itself but also move from subsistence to commercialization. So, when you talk of ATA, this is more than welcome, and we could fast track that because local cooperatives and anchor farms will benefit a lot… With AGRA and ATA, we can succeed!”

The discussion also touched on AGRA’s areas of support to the Malawian government, including policy design, flagship development and a food system transformation action plan.

H.E. Dessalegn further used the opportunity to invite H.E. Chakwera to the AGRF Summit, which is set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda from September 6-9, an invitation that the latter promised to seriously consider despite the stringent restrictions on international travel by his government as a measure for economic rejuvenation.

The meeting came just two weeks after H.E. Dessalegn visited Zambia on a three-day trip that saw him hold audience with H.E. President Hakainde Hichilema, on the strategies for fast-tracking Africa’s food system transformation.

-ENDS

Note to editors:

About AGRA

AGRA is a farmer-centered, African-led, partnerships-driven institution that is working to transform smallholder farming from a solitary struggle to survive to a business that thrives. In collaboration with its partners—including African governments, researchers, development partners, the private sector and civil society— AGRA’s work primarily focuses on smallholder farmers – men and women who typically cultivate staple crops on two hectares or less. AGRA is now recognized across the continent as a strong voice for African rural development, a prosperous agricultural economy, and for supporting thousands of small African businesses and millions of African families to improve agriculture as a way of ensuring food security and transforming their livelihoods.

More information: https://agra.org ; Rebecca Weaver, rweaver@agra.org; Sophie Chitedze, SChitedze@agra.org

About the AGRF

The AGRF is an annual gathering that convenes top leaders, thinkers and implementers in African agriculture across private, public, development and non-profit partners, and academic and research sectors. The AGRF seeks explicitly to draw these stakeholders around a common purpose – to unleash the full potential of Africa’s millions of smallholder farmers and their families who earn their livelihoods from small-scale farms and provide about 80% of the food and agricultural products consumed across the continent.

More information: https://agrf.org

Next week, Agnes Kalibata, former Minister of Agriculture of Rwanda and President of AGRA, will be taking part in the first Summit of Africa and the Americas on Agrifood Systems, the objective of which is to strengthen cooperation between the two continents in the face of the global threats to food security.

San Jose, 21 July 2022 (IICA) – The President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Agnes Kalibata, told senior officials from more than 20 countries in the Americas that the two continents are working together to “produce more and better-quality food” at a time when the global situation poses a threat to food security.

Kalibata, former Minister of Agriculture of Rwanda and the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, addressed the ministers, secretaries, and other representatives of more than 20 countries in the Americas taking part in this year’s meeting of the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in Costa Rica.

Next week, the head of AGRA will also participate in the first Summit of Africa and the Americas on Agrifood Systems, the aim of which is to strengthen cooperation between the two continents in the face of the global threats to food security.

The forum is being organized by IICA, the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The partners are convinced that the two continents face similar challenges in achieving agrifood system transformation and will benefit from the deepening of discussions and the sharing of experiences designed to foster mutual collaboration within the framework of South-South Cooperation.

The ministerial meeting will be inaugurated on 27 July by the President of AGRA, the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, and the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, Nardos Bekele-Thomas.

“In January of this year, the agriculture ministers of Africa and the Americas agreed to work together. We agreed to share ideas about nutrition, people’s health needs, and the need to produce more and better-quality food. After that meeting, it was proposed that a Ministerial Summit be held to make further headway with food assistance. The summit will take place 27-29 July in Costa Rica. IICA, AGRA, and the African Union Development Agency are working together to support our member states, to get the most out of this Summit,” the former minister remarked.

“I know that in recent times the countries of the Americas have faced similar challenges to the African countries. Amidst the challenges, African scientists have made great strides in developing high-yielding, highly nutritious, drought-tolerant crop varieties. We have also seen scientists from the Americas make great strides in productivity,” she added.

“Given the progress made and the challenges posed by climate change, we will only achieve sustainability and success more quickly by identifying and building on our different strengths. I therefore ask you to join me in developing stronger food systems for people, the planet and prosperity,” Kalibata urged.

The Africa-Americas Summit will be taking place at a time when the war in Eastern Europe has destabilized world commodity markets and global trade flows, triggering surges in the prices of food and raw materials around the world.

The situation in Eastern Europe is also negatively impacting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and the Americas, where food security has worsened in many countries and is expected to continue deteriorating.

The face-to-face meeting, which will also include contributions from online participants, will be the most important event to be held so far as part of the joint efforts that leaders in Africa and the Americas have been making to align their priorities based on productive, environmental, cultural, and historical similarities and shared challenges related to agrifood systems.

The Summit is expected to provide a clear understanding of the role that Africa and the Americas can play in shaping future global food and environmental security; and open up opportunities for cooperation in the areas of science, technology, and innovation, with a view to building sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

The Summit will be used to identify areas of joint work between the two regions and specific topics for cooperation, as well as the operational and financial mechanisms required to mobilize the necessary resources. The ministers and officials taking part will focus on five cross-cutting issues that are regarded as key to increasing the productivity, inclusiveness, and sustainability of agrifood systems:

• Science, technology, and innovation, including biotechnology
• Climate change and resilience
• Digital agriculture
• Institutional innovations and policies for social inclusion, safety nets, health and nutrition, and the recovery of degraded natural resources

• Fostering of a fairer and more transparent international food trade system

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int

Originally posted on https://www.iica.int

The meeting, to be held on 27, 28 and 29 July in Costa Rica, will outline the role of Africa and the Americas in global food and environmental security. It will provide opportunities for bi-regional cooperation in science, technology and innovation, with a view to building resilient and sustainable food systems.

San Jose / Nairobi, 19 July 2022 (IICA/AGRA/AUDA-NEPAD) – Ministers of Agriculture, national senior officials in the fields of environment, science and technology, heads of international organizations and private sector representatives will meet this month during the first Summit of Africa and the Americas, which will seek to enhance cooperation between the two continents   on Agrifood Systems amid global threats to food security.

The high-level meeting “Building Bridges for Cooperation in Agrifood System Transformation” will take place at the headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in San Jose, Costa Rica, from 27 to 29 July.

The Summit is being organized by IICA, the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and AGRA, who agree that both continents face common challenges in advancing agrifood system transformation and will benefit from sharing of experiences to foster collaboration within the framework of South-South Cooperation.

Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA; Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA; and Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Executive Director of AUDA-NEPAD, will open the ministerial meeting on July 27.

The Summit will take place at a time when a partnership between Africa and the Americas is more important than ever: the Russia Ukraine Conflict has destabilized world commodity markets and global trade flows, leading to an increase in global food and input prices.

The Conflict has also negatively impacted recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic in many countries in Africa and the Americas, where food security has worsened and is expected to continue deteriorating.

The hybrid Summit is the most important event within the framework of joint efforts between leaders of Africa and the Americas to align their priorities based on productive, environmental, cultural and historical similarities and common challenges with respect to agrifood systems. 

At the Summit, ministers and officials will identify areas of joint work and cooperation between the two regions, as well as the operational and financial mechanisms required to mobilize the necessary resources to increase the productivity, inclusion, and sustainability of agrifood systems. They will focus on five key areas: Science, technology and innovation, including biotechnology

• Climate change and resilience
• Digital agriculture
• Institutional innovations and policies for social inclusion, safety nets, health and nutrition, and the recovery of degraded natural resources
• Fostering a fairer and more transparent international food trade system

About IICA

IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture in the Inter-American system, with a mission to encourage, promote and support its 34 Member States in their efforts to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being through international technical cooperation of excellence. www.iica.int/en 

About AUDA-NEPAD

The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD is the technical body of the African Union. The core mandate of the AUDA-NEPAD is to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of regional and continental priority programmes and projects and to push for partnerships, resource mobilisation, research and knowledge management. Through AUDA-NEPAD African countries are provided unique opportunities to take full control of their development agenda, to work more closely together, and to cooperate more effectively with international partners. www.nepad.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. www.agra.org 

More information:

Institutional Communication Division of IICA
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int 

Mwanja Ng’anjo, Ag. Head of Communication, AUDA-NEPAD
Mwanjan@nepad.org

Rebecca Weaver, Ag. Head of Communications, AGRA
rweaver@agra.org

MAPUTO, Mozambique: May 31, 2022 – Former Tanzania President and Board member of AGRA, H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, has just completed a week-long tour of Mozambique. He met with the country’s President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and other leaders for high-level discussions on the state of the agriculture sector in the country.

The visit was planned to assess AGRA’s progress with its partners in Mozambique in support of smallholder farmers.  AGRA supported Mozambique through 34 grants worth $16.5 million that have been invested under the Partnership for Inclusive Agriculture Transformation in Africa (PIATA). 

H.E. Kikwete, who was accompanied by AGRA’s Vice President of Program Innovation and Delivery, Aggie Konde, also used the time to engage with the organization’s partners, policymakers and smallholder farmers to identify the priority areas for Mozambique’s food system transformation.

The AGRA mission met H.E. President Nyusi in Pemba May 26, before seeking audience with vice ministers Dr. Olegario Banze of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Dr. Manuel Goncalves of the Ministry Foreign Affairs and Cooperation two days later.

On May 24, the mission travelled to Manica province, where they met with the Provincial State Secretary Edson Macuacua, and Manica Governor Francisca Tomas before proceeding the following day to inspect AGRA projects in part of the Beira development corridor as highlighted below:

In Manica, the mission visited AGRA consortia interventions implemented by KUGULISSA, one of the five AGRA-funded consortia in the country. AGRA consortia investments in Mozambique have, so far, directly benefited 844,446 smallholder farmers, who have collectively sold 488,822 MT of produce through structured markets and earned about US$111.7 million. Through these interventions, 87 Hub Agro-dealers were supported in selling 18,377 Metric Tons of inputs through a network of 1,303 agro-dealers, dealing with both  input and output markets. This contributed to a reduction in the distance that farmers walk to access inputs from 20km-30km to 5-7km.

In Gondola, the mission visited an agro-dealer shop and warehouse owned by an SME and AGRA Implementing Partner, LUTEARI, which operates as distributor of seeds, fertilizers, crop protection products, and other agriculture tools and implements, and a buyer of smallholder farmers produce. Afterwards, H.E. Kikwete visited the Community of Mudima in the administrative post of Cafume, where he interacted with smallholder farmers served by Lidia Caução, owner and manager of a local farmers service, local authorities including community leaders, and state representatives.

On the same day, the mission visited the Phoenix Seed company in the Vanduzi district. Phoenix has been supported by AGRA to produce maize and soyabean seed on its own farm, and more through out-growers. Phoenix supports smallholder farmers with seed, and technical assistance to ensure that the quality standards are maintained. It then buys the seed produced for processing and onward distribution to seed outlets. The company produces seed throughout the year as it owns irrigation infrastructure that is critical for seed production. At the firm, the mission interacted with a group of seed out-growers supported by the company, with AGRA’s support, fulfilling AGRA’s objective of working in partnership with the private sector to engage small holder farmers in agricultural value chains.  

Following discussions with development partners, the team called on Celso Correia, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER) who committed to engaging with AGRA on its stakeholder consultations for its upcoming strategy. He further challenged AGRA to host the AGRF in Mozambique in 2025.

More information: https://agra.org ; Paulo Mole: pmole@agra.org

This year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting takes place during one of the most challenging years the world has seen for a long time. The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and an impending global food crisis are reversing decades of progress. As in most times of crisis, the most vulnerable people are bearing the brunt. We are already seeing rising commodity prices in major markets in East and Southern Africa. In Kenya, this compounds the effect of lower harvests due to a drier season than expected. Meanwhile, local fertilizer prices continue to rise to levels above 2-3 times compared to same time last year – tripling in Malawi, Mali and Kenya. Whilst most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are keeping borders open, a few, such as Ghana, have imposed export bans. Africa will also feel the impact of India’s export ban.

Dr. Agnes Kalibata, president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and Rwanda’s former minister of agriculture, will join the Annual Meeting to champion the voice of African farmers and agribusinesses and discuss how the world can chart a path to greater resilience for African countries. She will focus on how African governments can continue investments in long term and sustainable growth sectors (irrigation, sustainable farming, etc.) to mitigate against future crises and shocks so we do not stumble from one crisis to the next

Media representatives are welcome to join the below listed public sessions where Dr. Kalibata will provide an African perspective on the food system crisis. Please do get in touch with us if you wish to arrange an interview or background conversation with Dr. Kalibata at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.  

Dr. Kalibata will speak at the following events:

8 Harvests to 2030: From Food Systems Commitments to Action for Africa (High-Level Dialogue) 

• Wednesday, 25 May 9:30 – 10:45 at WEF in Davos, SDG Tent (Earth)
• Link to register: 8 Harvests to 2030: Moving from Food Commitments to Action for Africa 

Leaders of organizations who have active food systems commitments and key stakeholders vital to delivery will discuss opportunities and challenges in implementation in support of SDGs and national pathways for food systems transformation. How do we further collaborate, and leverage coordinated action to achieve the scale needed to transform food systems by 2030? Speakers include Dr. Agnes Kalibata (President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), Ndidi Nwuneli (Executive Chair, Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition), Jai Shroff (Global Chief Executive Officer UPL), Nigel Topping (High-Level Climate Action Champion, COP26 Climate Champions), and Wiebe Draijer (Chairman of the Managing Board Rabobank).

A leadership Call to Action to drive youth employment and agripreneurship in Africa

• Tuesday, 24th May 2022, 17:30–18:30, SDG Tent Café, Promenade 139, Davos
• Link to register: A leadership Call to Action to drive youth employment and agripreneurship in Africa

Farming remains the largest employer of youth, hence, there is an urgent need to make farming profitable for young people. Unlocking youth engagement and participation in agriculture will create an opportunity to resolve food systems challenges as well as open pathways for meaningful employment for African youth. This session explores how to create an enabling environment for youth to prosper in agriculture, fostering an ecosystem that will inspire the youth to view agriculture as an attractive and well-paying career engagement. Speakers include Dr. Agnes Kalibata (President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), Ishmael Sunga (CEO, SACAU), Simon Winter (Executive Director, Syngenta Foundation), Nadi Albino (Deputy Director Partnerships, UNICEF). 

The AGRA delegation is championing the voice of Africa’s farmers and governments and stakeholders on food systems transformation and the youth agenda in the following sessions organized by partners:

Sunday May 22

• 20:00-22:00, Averting a Hurricane of Hunger and Meltdown of the Global Food System organised by Yara and WFP

Monday May 23

• 09:00 – 10:15 Food Action Alliance organised by WEF
• 15:30 – 17:00:  Key role of large-scale food fortification (LSFF) and its potential to improve human health, economic development & environmental sustainability organised by Endeva

Tuesday May 24 

• 20:00 – 22:00 True Value of Food High Level dinner organised by Rabobank and WBCSD
• 20:00-21:00 Putting Food on the Table in a World in Crisis organized by Bayer

Contact Details: Rebecca Weaver, Acting Head of Communications, rweaver@agra.org

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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. www.agra.org

• The Climate Overshoot Commission will design a response strategy for if the global temperatures rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius
• Dr. Kalibata is one of the 16 members in the commission

NAIROBI, Kenya: May 19, 2022 – The President of AGRA, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, has been selected as one of 16 eminent members of the Climate Overshoot Commission. 

She joins former heads of government, national ministers, environmental leaders, and high-level international officials, who will evaluate additional approaches for reducing the climate risks of overshoot in an integrated way. 

The Climate Overshoot Commission was formed upon the realization that global warming is fast approaching the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement, an ‘overshoot’ of that goal is likely within the next decade.

The Commission, which is chaired by former World Trade Organisation Director General Pascal Lamy, will balance the potential, costs and risks of enhanced adaptation, carbon dioxide removal, and sunlight reflection against the serious impacts of a warming world. 

The commissioners will meet six times over the next fifteen months – starting in Italy, New York and Egypt – to prepare a strategy that will be unveiled before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) of 2023. The expected strategy will be evidence-based, just, and promote equitable approaches for reducing risk in a dangerously warming world.

“Rising global temperatures are already creating challenges for global food systems. Africa’s smallholder farmers are facing adverse consequences as a result of fluctuating weather patterns. We are seeing this in droughts, floods, mudslides, and pest attacks across Africa. This Commission brings together leaders to work together in advocating for action that can prevent climate overshoot and develop appropriate response strategies to reverse global warming and limit the impacts of worsening climate change,” said Dr. Kalibata, who served as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021. 

Dr. Kalibata brings to the Commission a wealth of experience from her involvement in agricultural and food systems, both as a successful minister of agriculture (Rwanda) and as the leader of AGRA. 

In both these roles, and many others, she has led the development of strategies enabling farmers adapt to the vagaries of climate change, in addition to mitigating further damage.  Her contribution to finding global solutions to end hunger has seen her win numerous awards and international recognition, including the prestigious Africa Food Prize, an honorary doctorate from the University of Liège, and the National Academy of Sciences’ Public Welfare Medal, amongst many others. 

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About AGRA

AGRA is a farmer-centered, African-led, partnerships-driven institution that is working to transform smallholder farming from a solitary struggle to survive to a business that thrives. In collaboration with its partners—including African governments, researchers, development partners, the private sector and civil society— AGRA’s work primarily focuses on smallholder farmers – women and men who typically cultivate staple crops on two hectares or less. AGRA is now recognized across the continent as a strong voice for African rural development, a prosperous agricultural economy, and for supporting thousands of small African businesses and millions of African families to improve agriculture to ensure food security and improve their livelihoods.

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

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/  

– ENDS –

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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.

-ENDS-

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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