AGRA

NAIROBI, Kenya: 09 September, 2021 – A new center has been launched to champion development of quality seed of improved varieties in Africa with the goal of boosting agricultural productivity.

The Center of Excellence for Seed Systems in Africa (CESSA) was unveiled today at the AGRF 2021 Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. It will be hosted at AGRA (the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), whose role will be convening seed actors to help fill gaps, and build capacities and varieties that respond to needs of farmers in Sub Saharan Africa.

The center will begin operations in 2022, supporting governments, private sector and development partners to deliver modern, effective and resilient seed systems that serve African farmers better. It will strengthen the seed value chain, particularly variety development and release, production and distribution of both early generation and certified seed, farmer awareness creation and participation, quality assurance, national planning, policy and regulatory frameworks.  

“Initiatives for improving Africa’s seed systems by different public and private actors remain uncoordinated today. With partners, CESSA will bridge this gap, supporting informed, evidence-based decision making, investments and provision of technical advice and support for implementation of improved seed systems,” said Dr. George Bigirwa, AGRA’s Deputy Vice President for Program Innovations and Delivery.

CESSA, working with partners, will conduct national seed system analyses, provide advisory services and external technical assistance, as well as training and capacity building for the seed sector. This is in addition to fostering partnerships and networks leading to grants and other investments in the sector.

Dr Bigirwa noted: “We invite partners, countries and other agriculture sector stakeholders to partner with AGRA in this initiative to enhance sustainable productivity in African farms”.

AGRA has been contributing to the development of Africa’s seed system since 2006, when it was founded. In under 15 years, the organization has funded development and release of 659 improved varieties for 18 crops. This is in addition to supporting 119 homegrown seed companies in 18 African countries, which have, until now, produced 847,655 metric tonnes of quality seed, benefiting 25.1 million farmers.

Over the last year, AGRA has piloted a diagnostic process for seed systems, known as Seed System Assessment Tool (SeedSAT), in Ethiopia and Nigeria. Lessons from the SeedSAT, which will be one of the center’s components, will be used to deepen country-specific requirements.

CESSA is funded by PIATA partners.-

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About PIATA

PIATA is a strategic partnership that brings together funding and thought leadership from organizations active in African agriculture – AGRA, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Rockefeller Foundation, Department for International Development (DFID), BMZ Germany and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

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.

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

About AGRF

The AGRF is the premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. The Forum is designed to energize political will and advance the policies, programs and investments required to achieve an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation across the continent.

More information: https://agrf.org; Catherine Ndung’u cndungu@agra.org

Recognized for helping 25 million farmers in 13 countries to improve income and food production

Nairobi, Kenya, September 8, 2021 – The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been awarded the 2021 Africa Food Prize, for work that has improved food security across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. 

ICRISAT, a CGIAR Research Center, is a non-profit, non-political public international research organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. 

Between 2007 and 2019, ICRISAT led a collaboration of partners to deliver the Tropical Legumes Project. The project, undertaken together with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), developed 266 improved legume varieties and almost half a million tons of seed for a range of legume crops, including cowpeas, pigeon peas, chickpea, common bean, groundnut, and soybean. These new varieties have helped over 25 million smallholder farmers become more resilient to climate change, as well as pest and disease outbreaks.

In addition to these new varieties, the project trained 52 scientists, who are already working in national research institutes across the continent. Training these next generation scientists in the countries where the projects were implemented, has helped strengthen the research capacity of national agricultural research systems in Africa and contributed to sustaining the gains the projects have made. 

Congratulating the winner, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, the Chair of the Africa Food Prize Committee and former President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, said: “ICRISAT’s leadership in developing seeds that not only end malnutrition but also survive in semi-arid areas is inspiring other agricultural organisations to rethink seed development and farming practices that suit and solve Africa’s agricultural challenges.”

“Their work is also important as it provides an inclusive approach that supports the whole agricultural value chain, from farm to fork, providing farmers with farming tools and a market for their produce,’’ he said.

Accepting the award, Dr. Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, ICRISAT Director General, said the Institute’s work spanned the entire value chain, from high-end genomics to markets and agri-business in dryland cropping systems. 

“We also empower women and attract youth back to agriculture using the latest tools and technologies available to make farming profitable. 

“The Africa Food Prize is a major accolade and recognition of ICRISAT’s work in Africa and reinforces our belief that agriculture can be profitable for smallholder farmers. It is also testament to the work of our close collaborators, the national agriculture research and extension systems, without whose support this would not have been possible. 

“We dedicate this award to the smallholder farmers in the drylands of Africa, as they are the ones who inspire us with their patience and perseverance in the face of adversity,” said Dr. Hughes.

Dryland ecosystems cover 45 per cent of Africa’s landmass and feed and support almost half a billion people. However, these systems are fragile and prone to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. 

Programs like the Tropical Legumes projects help the millions of smallholder farmers relying on drylands ecosystems to grow more food and become more resilient in the face of climate change. The project has been implemented in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

The Africa Food Prize recognizes outstanding African individuals and institutions leading efforts in the following areas: transformation of Africa’s foods systems; promotion of sustainable agricultural practices; support for smallholder farmers to raise incomes; resilience in the wake of climate change impacts; and access to high quality agricultural inputs, knowledge, and equipment. The award, that includes a $100,000 prize, celebrates those changing the reality of farming in Africa from a struggle practice to a business that lifts communities out of poverty. 

Key impacts of the Tropical Legume Project

• Groundnut crop interventions demonstrated 32.35% increase in income, 6.72% households lifted out of poverty and 14% out of food insecurity.
• Ten groundnut varieties, including six high-yielding, drought-tolerant ones and four ELS, released in Mali.
• Seven groundnut varieties, with traits such as aflatoxin tolerance, early maturing, drought tolerance etc. released.
• In India, chickpea national program on developing improved varieties resulted in area enhancement up to 68%.
• Chickpea program in Ethiopia won a national award in 2013 for science and innovation.
• Seven-fold increase in number of improved common bean variety releases from 2011 to 2018.

Africa Food Prize – Previous winners

2020

Last year Dr. André Bationo and Dr. Catherine Nakalembe won the Africa Food Prize for their exceptional contribution towards the promotion of food security across the continent. 

2019

In 2019, Dr. Emma Naluyima, a smallholder farmer and private veterinarian from Uganda, and Baba Dioum, a policy champion and agricultural entrepreneur from Senegal were recognized for their remarkable achievements in demonstrating and promoting innovative and sustainable growth in Africa’s agriculture through improved resource use and market links. 

2018

The 2018 AFP award went to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for its leadership in generating agricultural research and technologies that have improved food security, nutrition, and incomes for millions of people across Africa. 

2017

The 2017 winners were Kenyan professor Ruth Oniang’o and Malian Mme Maïmouna Sidibe Coulibaly, who were jointly recognized for their exemplary efforts in driving Africa’s agriculture transformation. 

2016

While in 2016 the AFP was awarded to Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, a Nigerian and the former President of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Dr. Nwanze was recognized for his outstanding leadership in putting Africa´s smallholder farmers at the center of the global agricultural agenda. 

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About the Africa Food Prize

The Africa Food Prize recognizes extraordinary women, men, and institutions whose outstanding contributions to African agriculture are forging a new era of sustainable food security and economic opportunity that elevates all Africans. The US $100,000 prize celebrates Africans who are taking control of Africa’s agriculture agenda. It puts a spotlight on bold initiatives and technical innovations that can be replicated across the continent to create a new era of food security and economic opportunity for all Africans.

Building on the values and principles established by the Yara Prize, the Africa Food Prize puts a bright spotlight on achievements and innovations with transformative power that can be scaled and replicated across the continent to eliminate hunger and poverty and provide a vital new source of employment and income.

The Africa Food prize is enabled by the sponsorship of Yara International and Corteva. The prize recognises exceptional individuals and institutions improving food security and catalyzing innovation and transformative change in Africa’s agricultural sector from amongst nominees. It is awarded every year during the annual AGRF Summit. 

For media inquiries contact:Agrf.media@hudsonsandler.com

NAIROBI, Kenya – September 7, 2021: The 2021 Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR21) was launched today at the AGRF Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. The report addresses the challenges and opportunities in the creation of sustainable and resilient agri-food systems in Africa. It explores what Building Resilient and Sustainable Food Africa Systems entails, and calls for the necessary actions by governments, pan-African organizations, bilateral and multilateral development partners, and the private sector. 

“This year’s AASR21 details the practical steps all stakeholders from governments and regional organizations to the private sector need to take to rebuild and enhance Africa’s food systems,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that despite the progress we’ve made over the last decade, Africa’s food systems remain fragile to external shocks. We must take the opportunity we have to rebuild from the pandemic, to make our food systems more resilient without putting further pressure on the environment,” Dr Kalibata added.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has registered the most rapid rate of agricultural production growth since 2000 of any region of the world. However, three quarters of this growth is driven by the expansion of crop land, over yield increases.

With Africa’s population expected to double to nearly 2,5 billion by 2050, now is the time for stakeholders to put the steps in place to increase production without compromising the continent’s natural resources.

“Raising yields and productivity on existing farmland is among the most important ways to make African food systems more resilient and sustainable. Raising productivity on existing farmland will reduce pressures for continued expansion of cropland, and preserve valued forest and grassland ecosystems and the biodiversity that they provide,” said Andrew Cox, AGRA’s Chief of Staff and Strategy.

The report outlines the priorities and next steps that must be taken by all stakeholders to achieve the transformation that will lead to sustainable and resilient agri-food systems. “The AASR21 should serve as a wake-up call of the need to act urgently to support the creation of resilient food systems and reverse or mitigate the impact we’ve seen on the environment,” said Dr. Thom Jayne of Michigan State University, and lead author of the report.

“One of the first steps is meaningfully increase public investments in agricultural research, development and extension. While agricultural R&D spending has risen over the years, in SSA public investments amount to less than 1 percent of the agricultural GDP in most countries,” Dr. Jayne added.

The report further builds on the call to action to African governments from the UN Food Systems Summit, recognizing the need for urgency in this last decade of the global effort to realize the sustainable development goals (SDGs). 

The AASR21 was launched at the 11th edition of the AGRF Summit, an annual gathering that brings together heads of state and government, agriculture ministers, members of the civil society, private sector leaders, scientists and farmers in discussions that define the future of Africa’s food systems.

Under the theme Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems, this year’s AGRF Summit will explore the pathways and actions needed to steer the continent towards food systems that deliver sufficient and nutritious food, protect the environment and create sustainable jobs.

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You can view the report here.

About the AASR

The Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) is an annual publication that is published by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) since 2013. The AASR has become a reference point for emerging topics on agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa, such as Staple Crops (2013), Climate Change (2014), Youth in Agriculture (2015), Agricultural Transformation (2016), Smallholder Agriculture (2017), Government Capacity (2018), The Hidden Middle (2019) and Feeding Africa’s Cities (2020). The report has grown to be an important handbook for Africa’s leaders in their plans to transform the continent’s agricultural prospects. Among the trends observed in past reports include increased public private partnership, adoption of technology, use of improved agricultural inputs, a greater focus on capacity development and an expanded focus on extension services.

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 has learned a lot from efforts during its first decade and 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 to ensure food security and improve their livelihoods.

About the AGRF

The AGRF was first held in 2006 as the African Green Revolution Conference (AGRC), hosted by Yara International ASA in Norway. The conference moved to Africa in 2010 with the championing of former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, who oversaw its transition to an African identity. The Forum now consists of an annual event combined with thematic platforms and activities throughout the year to ensure continuous progress over time. Kenya is the third country, after Rwanda and Ghana, to host the event twice, having successfully hosted the 2016 edition. Afterwards, Rwanda will host the event in alternate years, having been named the home of the AGRF seat. Other AGRF member countries will host the Forum in the years between. In its current format, the AGRF is organized by the AGRF Partners Group, a coalition of institutions that care about Africa’s agriculture transformation. 

For Media Inquiries Contact:

Hudson Sandler

Evelyne Wangui: +254 726 087451

Eugene Ng’ang’a: +254 703 516173

Agrf.media@hudsonsandler.com

For more information on the AGRF agenda and partners, visit www.agrf.org.

NAIROBI, Kenya, September 6, 2021: Farmers, heads of state and other government officials, scientists, and representatives of the private sector and civil society are gathering for the 11^th edition of the AGRF Summit to engage on how to create a sustainable and resilient food system in Africa.

Themed “Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems”, this year’s forum will open up a robust conversation with various African leaders on ways to accelerate the process of building and developing Africa’s food systems. The Alliance of a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is one of the partners in the event hosted by the Government of Kenya.

Speaking during the summit that runs from September 7 to 10, AGRA President Dr Agnes Kalibata, emphasised the need to urgently address challenges hindering sustainable food systems such as poverty and hunger, adverse impacts of climate change and health issues.

“This is an opportunity for the continent to collaboratively define what needs to happen in order to get our food systems right. We need to focus on boosting our productivity and innovatively fixing our food system in its entirety to deliver food and nutrition security for all,” Dr. Agnes Kalibata said.

The AGRF 2021 Summit is critical for the future of Africa’s agriculture. It is a defining moment to highlight and unlock many of the political, policy, and financial commitments and innovations the continent has achieved and needed to advance the commitments made at the Malabo Heads of State Summit and towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

This years’ event also features a Virtual 2021 Agribusiness Deal Room, a matchmaking platform that aims to drive new business deals and commitments. Through the Deal Room, companies in the agriculture and agribusiness sectors have an opportunity to access finance, mentorship, and market entry solutions to support their growth objectives. It also creates opportunities for governments to present investment opportunities, promote investment incentives and engage with interested investors. Participants will also explore trade deals and partnership opportunities that enhance sourcing from African smallholder farmers.

Other highlights of the AGRF 2021 Summit include: Farmers’ Forum, announcement of the Africa Food Prize 2021 and release of this year’s Africa Agriculture Status Report.

Also taking part in the summit is AGRA’s Board Chair and former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr Hailemariam Dessalegn.

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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 – men and women who typically cultivate staple crops on two hectares or less. AGRA has learned a lot from efforts during its first decade and 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 to ensure food security and improve their livelihoods.

About the AGRF

The African Green Revolution Forum was first held in 2006 as the African Green Revolution Conference (AGRC), hosted by Yara International ASA in Norway. The conference moved to Africa in 2010 with the championing of former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, who oversaw its transition to an African identity. The Forum now consists of an annual event combined with thematic platforms and activities throughout the year to ensure continuous progress over time. Kenya is the third country, after Rwanda and Ghana, to host the event twice, having successfully hosted the 2016 edition. Afterwards, Rwanda will host the event in alternate years, having been named the home of the AGRF seat. Other AGRF member countries will host the Forum in the years between. In its current format, the AGRF is organized by the AGRF Partners Group, a coalition of institutions that care about Africa’s agriculture transformation.  

For Media Inquiries Contact:

Hudson Sandler

Evelyne Wangui: +254 726 087451

Eugene Ng’ang’a: +254 703 516173

Agrf.media@hudsonsandler.com For more information on the AGRF agenda and partners, visit www.agrf.org.

KAMPALA, Uganda: August 26, 2021 Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Board Member of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, will on Friday, August 27, 2021 meet with Uganda’s President H.E. Yoweri Museveni for a conversation around Africa’s food system priorities.

The discussion will address ways to prioritize inclusive agricultural transformation in the promotion of resilient and sustainable food systems. This is in addition to the need for collaboration in driving the commitments made in the Malabo Declaration and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

H.E Kikwete, who travelled to Uganda’s capital Kampala on Thursday, August 26, 2021, will also use the opportunity to invite H.E. Museveni to the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Summit 2021, in Nairobi Kenya, while highlighting the opportunities for the continent ahead of the convening.   

Organized under the leadership of H.E Uhuru Kenyatta, and the AGRF Partners Group, under the theme, “Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems”, the AGRF Summit 2021 will assume a hybrid format with participation in Nairobi and virtually.

It is expected that over 10,000 delegates will join the event virtually, as close to 150 delegates gather in Nairobi for the Summit, among them Heads of State and Government, Ministers and high-profile leaders from the private sector and development organizations. 

Among other objectives, the Forum will give the continent a final chance to review and affirm Africa’s common position before joining the rest of the world at the UN Food Systems Summit, in New York later in September.-

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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 for 30 million farming households in 11 African countries by 2021.

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

About AGRF

The AGRF is the premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. The Forum is designed to energize political will and advance the policies, programs and investments required to achieve an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation across the continent. More information: https://agrf.org; Catherine Ndung’u cndungu@agra.org

NAIROBI, Kenya: August 19, 2021 – With Africa’s food security and sustainability playing a central role in the continent’s economic growth and adaptation to climate change, the Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA), an initiative led by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), officially launched its first cohort of 80 leaders from eight focus countries across sub-Saharan Africa. To support agriculture leaders deliver on policy priorities across the continent, this week CALA’s inaugural Advanced Leadership Programme: Collaborative Leadership for Africa’s Food Security and Sustainability kicked off with individuals from government, the private sector and civil society from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. 

CALA has been established with funding from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) through the KfW Development Bank and led by AGRA in collaboration with the African Management Institute (AMI), the Centre’s lead implementer and learning partner, and USAID’s Policy LINK, which has led the design and rollout of the leadership programme’s coaching component. The first cohort of 80 leaders from across government, the private sector, and civil society were selected from nearly 1,000 applicants. An application process for the programme’s second cohort will open in early 2022.

CALA’s first three-day Leadership Forum held virtually, began this past Monday with live remarks from AGRA’s Board Chair and former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, AGRA’s President Dr. Agnes Kalibata, AMI’s CEO Rebecca Harrison and USAID Policy LINK’s Regional Director Robert Ouma. 

“The complexity of agriculture transformation requires collaborative and coordinated effort amongst all stakeholders, and that is why these kinds of initiatives (like CALA) are important,” noted AGRA’s Board Chair, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn in his remarks.

AGRA President, Dr. Agnes Kalibata added, “To move steadily towards an inclusive Agriculture Transformation in Africa, we need strong networks of leaders who can learn together and from one another on how to advance our food systems in a way that is inclusive, equitable, sustainable and climate sensitive. CALA is an opportunity to bring agriculture leaders together to share knowledge across government, private sector and civil society, to support the implementation of agriculture sector priorities and hone leadership skills with the aim of enhancing the delivery of our commitments for the sector to contribute to ending hunger and malnutrition, poverty and improving livelihoods.”

The 16-month Advanced Leadership Programme learning journey is designed for established and emerging sector leaders spearheading priority country-level agriculture strategies to effect change. The programme focuses on developing the competencies of leaders in four core interrelated dimensions, including management skills for improved implementation, honing of leadership skills, institutional development and over time, systems change where leaders can effect change on a broader scale. The programme will also profile environmental sustainability practices which contribute to sustainable farming, food production, and resilient food systems in the face of increasing climate change impacts.

“For transformation, we know that it is collaborative leadership that will unlock results and progress for the continent in terms of food security and sustainability. Without strong and collaborative leadership, good ideas go unrealised, plans stagnate, and ultimately the opportunity for transformation can slip away,” said AMI CEO and Co-Founder, Rebecca Harrison.

“Good leadership is a factor of production, and in Africa, we need good, inspired leadership to transform our agricultural sector through motivation and influence,” said Policy LINK Regional Director Robert Ouma. “To support them in their learning and growth as leaders of their countries’ agricultural transformation, CALA’s leadership coaching will draw upon successful models of executive and team coaching.”

In addition to kicking off their practical leadership programme with facilitators and coaches, the inaugural cohort heard from agriculture Permanent Secretaries during a roundtable to discuss sector implementation issues, and from sector experts who work together to unblock implementation challenges. Speakers included:

• Hixonia Nyasulu, AGRA Board Member and Chairperson AECF; 
• Jean Claude Musabyimana, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), Rwanda; 
• Mrs. Karima Babangida, Director: Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Department (FMARD), Nigeria; 
• Erica Maganga, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Malawi; 
• Eden Getachew, Centre of Government and Delivery Lead, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI)
• Joyce Nyamweya, Executive Director at The Results for Africa Institute

During its first three years, CALA’s Advanced Leadership Programme will work with 160 participants from the eight focus countries. Participants will engage in Leadership Forums held once every four months, regular virtual learning labs, elective and scheduled online courses which will highlight adaptive leadership skills, case studies of agriculture transformation and performance management skills to enhance implementation skills. Over the course of the 16 month programme, CALA’s participants will partner with professional leadership coaches in a high-impact process to harness the individual’s and the team’s strengths and experiences to catalyze learning, growth and results. Participants will also develop Action Learning Projects derived from participants’ ongoing work priorities and opportunities to apply learning from the program in real-time to on-the-job challenges within country-level agricultural priority programs.Information about CALA’s Advanced Leadership Programme and upcoming application dates can be found at http://cala.agra.org

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About AGRA

Founded in 2006, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (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.

For more information visit: www.agra.org 

About 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 interactive workshops and on-the-job practice and support. During the COVID period AMI is delivering fully virtual programming across the continent.

AMI has worked with a range of businesses and organisations to support entrepreneurs and managers build and grow their businesses across Africa including Uber, Nestle, Radisson Blu, Mastercard Foundation, USAID, Shell Foundation and Equity Bank. AMI has directly trained over 30,000 people in over 35 countries. AMI has offices in Nairobi, Kenya, Kigali, Rwanda, and Johannesburg, South Africa.

For more information on AMI visit: www.africanmanagers.org  

About Policy LINK 

Policy LINK is a global Feed the Future program to advance leadership and collaboration for better policy systems. Feed the Future is America’s global hunger and food security initiative, led by USAID. With regional activities in East Africa as well as an in-country presence in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, Policy LINK supports individuals and organizations to work better together by centering the people driving policy change, the platforms that bring them together, and the participatory learning that they generate.For more information about Policy LINK, please visit: www.policylinkglobal.org

Download the press release: https://agra.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CALA-press-release_19_August_Final.pdf

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania: July 15, 2021 – Former Tanzania President and Board Member of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) H.E. Dr. Jakaya M. Kikwete has urged African governments to create a conducive environment for private sector participation as a way of speeding up the sought-after agricultural transformation.

H.E. Kikwete was speaking on Wednesday July 15, 2021, during a press conference in Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam. He was joined by H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, former Ethiopia Prime Minister and AGRA Board Chair, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Hussein Mohamed Bashe, and Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in the President’s Office in charge of Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG).

In his remarks, H.E. Dr. Kikwete recommended the development of public infrastructure including roads, electricity, and market structures, which he described as necessary for attracting private sector participation in agricultural value chains.

Agreeing with H.E. Dr. Kikwete, Hon. Hussein Bashe said that his government’s investment in infrastructure and policy development had helped increase private sector investment in Tanzania’s food value chains to nearly Tsh. 4 trillion (USD1.7bn) in three years.

The Deputy Minister further announced that the government had prepared a ready market for the country’s maize farmers as a way to incentivize more production.

“With this year’s bumper harvest, the government will from August buy each kilogram of maize from farmers at Tsh. 500 (USD 0.22),” he said. The TSh.500 (USD 0.15) is a 43 percent increase from the Tsh. 350 that the National Food Reserve Agency paid for a kilo of maize in 2020.

H.E. Dessalegn announced that AGRA will support the Government of Tanzania’s agro-industrialization development program.  

“AGRA will work with the government on its industrialization agenda that seeks to drive the country’s diversification and expansion of agro-industries. AGRA will work with sector-line ministries to mobilize both technical and financial resources,” he said.

H.E. Dessalegn further invited all agriculture stakeholders to the 2021 AGRF Summit which will be hosted by the Government of Kenya from September 6 -10.

The Board Chair has been in Tanzania since Friday last week as part of a cross-Africa tour to witness the impact of AGRA’s work, while mobilizing political goodwill and private sector participation in the transformation of the continent’s food systems. He has so far travelled to Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso. From here, H.E. Dr. Kikwete takes over the role as he visits Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique.

To pick up the momentum, H.E. Dr. Kikwete joined H.E. Dessalegn in an engagement with stakeholders from Tanzania’s seed sector on Thursday morning. The purpose of the session was to share the progress that has been made so far in seed subsector development in Tanzania, with support from AGRA and other development partners.

The seed program has been a key area of focus for AGRA since 2006 when it started operations in Tanzania. The subsector has remained central to AGRA’s strategy and operations even as it opens new areas of investment in policy and advocacy, soil health and market development.

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.

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

About AGRF

The AGRF is the premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. The Forum is designed to energize political will and advance the policies, programs and investments required to achieve an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation across the continent.

More information: https://agrf.org; Catherine Ndung’u cndungu@agra.org

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania: July 13, 2021 – Former Ethiopia Prime Minister and Board Chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, has said that with proper investment, Tanzania has the potential to feed the whole of Africa.

According to H.E. Dessalegn, Tanzania’s favorable climatic conditions, good soils, a youthful population, and a propensity for mechanization can be harnessed to meet the continent’s food needs.

“Tanzania is one of the few countries in Africa that have the potential to feed the whole continent; very few countries can change their agricultural landscape but Tanzania can,” he said during an engagement with AGRA staff in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Monday morning. 

Also in the meeting was retired Tanzania President and AGRA Board Member, H.E. Dr. Jakaya Kikwete, who rooted for increased research, mechanisation, irrigation and farmer finance in transforming Tanzania’s agricultural prospects.

“Smallholder farmers are greatly affected by climate change, thus the need for experts and researchers to help them cope with the challenge and increase their productivity,” H.E. Dr. Kikwete said.

“Irrigation agriculture, too, is a way forward and should be made accessible for smallholder farmers,” he added, citing his 31-acre maize farming venture that failed after rains stopped, inspiring him to invest in irrigation. 

From here, H.E. Dr. Kikwete takes over the food systems tour as H.E. Dessalegn takes a break. The former Tanzania President is set to lead a delegation to Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique, where he will invite the heads of state and government to the AGRF Summit 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya from September 7 – 10. Meanwhile, H.E. Dessalegn will later this week meet with Tanzania’s president, H.E. Samia Suluhu, to deliver her official invite to the summit.

During the meeting, H.E. Dessalegn and H.E. President Suluhu are also expected to engage in dialogue on her government’s food systems priorities. This is especially important as Africa prepares for the September UN Food Systems Summit, where the world will take stock of the progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably the commitment to end hunger and poverty by 2030. 

H.E. Dessalegn has been in Tanzania since Friday 9 July as part of a cross-Africa tour to witness the impact of AGRA’s work, while mobilizing political goodwill and private sector participation in the transformation of the continent’s food systems.

During his site visits in the Bagamoyo District and downtown Dar es Salaam today, Tuesday, July 13, he explored private sector investments in milling and chick breeding, projects that contribute differently to Tanzania’s food systems development objectives.

Accompanied by H.E. Dr. Kikwete, the AGRA Board Chair first toured Joydons Limited, a maize flour processing business in the Coastal region, established by two sisters in 2012. From an initial capital of USD 2,156, Joydons has grown to have a USD 1.3mn operating capital base, and 248 workers.

“We currently sell our maize flour in four administrative regions on Mainland Tanzania – and plan to capture other markets soon enough, including export markets,” said the company’s co-founder and managing director, Joyce Kimaro.

From Joydons, the two principals and their delegation, visited AKM Glitters Company Limited in Dar es Salaam, which produces and sells improved chicken, and poultry feed. The company has in 14 years grown from a backyard poultry farm with 250 chicken to a hatchery plant yielding 320,000 day-old chicks per month.

Through its vast network, of primarily women-owned businesses, AKM Glitters has in the past four years alone distributed 7.2mn day old chicks of the dual purpose Kuroiler breed to at least 1.25mn smallholder farming households. The company also recently upgraded its milling plant to generate 120 tons of poultry feed everyday.

“By working with mostly female distributors in rural areas, we are able to support them in growing their own businesses as well as reach rural farmers and give them access to a high-quality breed of chicken and feed,” said Elizabeth Swai, the company’s founder and CEO.

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.

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

About AGRF

The AGRF is the premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. The Forum is designed to energize political will and advance the policies, programs and investments required to achieve an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation across the continent.

More information: https://agrf.org; Catherine Ndung’u cndungu@agra.org

ACCRA, Ghana: July 12, 2021 – The Food Trade Coalition for Africa (FTCA) held its General Assembly, Private Sector Engagement on the Regional Food Balance Sheet, and a Policy Dialogue on the impact of shocks on food systems, in Accra, Ghana from June 29 – 30, 2021. The General Assembly was opened by Hon. Okyere Baafi, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, on behalf of Hon. Minister Alan Kyerematen.

The following were the key messages from the three engagements:

• The Coalition shall intensify engagement with the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat to align interests, and share lessons for the promotion of food trade in the continent;
• Addressing challenges around non-tariff barriers, state interventions in trade, non-harmonization of standards, informality, inadequate access to finance, and food supply disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic remains critical for better functioning regional food markets;
• Covid-19 alongside other shocks such as desert locusts, droughts and flooding has worsened the food security situation in volatile regions of the continent. Regular monitoring and reporting of these incidences remains a key task of the Food Security and Hunger Hotspots thematic working group of the Coalition;
• Monitoring of food trade flows along key trade corridors in the continent in order to uncover and address blockages emanating from COVID-19 measures and other factors will be a focus area of the Coalition;
• The Coalition shall prioritise the empowerment of women in regional value chains through policy engagement and coordination of investments aimed at increasing their participation in food trade;
• In recognition of the importance of safe food and the promotion of nutrition in food trade, the Coalition launched a new thematic working group focusing on the coordination of investments and coherence in policy influencing around food safety and nutrition standards;
• On the private sector engagement, AGRA and COMESA commit to continue consultations with the private sector in the development of the Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS) tool to ensure the initiative is relevant for businesses;
• During its policy dialogue, the Coalition discussed the policy responses to climatic shocks and the Covid-19 pandemic on domestic food value chains, international food trade, and food and nutrition security;
• The dearth in real time data and information on the extent of the effects of the shocks on food security and functioning of supply chains resulted in the implementation of restrictive measures by governments resulting in temporary disruptions of food flows;
• Women, youth and small farmers were particularly impacted by these shocks in various ways including limited access to inputs, markets for products, loss of jobs and income;
• The implications for the resilience of food value chains in Sub Saharan Africa hinges on the critical role of informal markets, vulnerability of perishable products to restrictions on mobility and transport, reliance on global food value chains, and scarcity of agri-food data in real (or near) time;
• Support to the functioning of informal markets and cross-border food trade: The limited interference with the operations of local and regional staple food markets proved successful;
• Strengthening the performance of food value chains – extending policy attention to include actors beyond “farm” and “plate”, such as input suppliers/transporters and food transporters, processors, traders, and retailers. These actors provide farmers with inputs or move food to consumers, and many are small and medium-scale enterprises that perform critical roles in maintaining the food system.

Key recommendations from the dialogue included:

• The need for evidence-based decision making – facilitating evidence generation and data systems that are real (or near) time;
• Building partnerships, improving coordination and collaboration to enable experience sharing to anchor future efforts. Strengthen public-private dialogues through instruments such as the Coalition;
• Support the functioning of informal markets through trade facilitation and policy reforms. The implementation of the AfCFTA, among other actions, should target increases in smallholder farmers’ access to stable and profitable regional agricultural markets.

About the Food Trade Coalition for Africa

The Food Trade Coalition for Africa was launched at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in 2019. It is a unique Coalition that brings together players in African food and agriculture trade, leveraging on their diverse views, experiences and knowledge to coordinate food trade investments and policy interventions across the continent. The members of the Coalition include representatives within Africa, and the international community; regional economic communities, private organizations, research institutions, development agencies, academia and think-tanks. With the combined strengths of its members and partners, the Coalition aims to build a stronger consensus on food trade policy, and increase policy coherence and predictability.

More information: https://ftcafrica.org/ ; Mumbi Gichuri: MGichuri@agra.org

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.

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

The AGRF 2021 Summit program will feature new commitments to the Future Food Systems on equitable livelihoods, nutrition & health, resilience, and competitiveness 

Nairobi, Kenya, July 8, 2021— A line up of 500 guests, including governments, private sector, youth, women leaders and farmer organization will convene in Nairobi, Kenya on September 6-10 for the AGRF 2021 Summit under the leadership of H.E Uhuru Kenyatta. They are expected to be joined virtually by over 10,000 delegates from more than 150 countries for the Summit, which will focus on accelerating progress towards the development of resilient food systems on the continent.

Under the theme of Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems, this year’s AGRF Summit will put a spotlight on new commitments to the future of African food systems and showcase how resilience will be built out of leadership at all levels.

The Summit will have a special focus on the role of women and youth in transforming Africa’s food systems with various issues faced by these groups expected to dominate the discussions at the First Ladies Forum and the Youth Hall respectively.

The former Prime Minister of Ethiopia and AGRF Board Chair, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, said that he was inspired to see Africans leaders make Agriculture as priority but noted that a lot more needed to be done.

“Now more than ever we must prioritise inclusive agricultural transformation. We must work collaboratively to ensure that policy, technology and finances respond to the needs of our farmers. This is critical to achieve zero hunger across the continent and around the globe. H.E. Dessalegn added.

Co-organized with the Government of Kenya, with the support of 26 partner institutions, this year’s Summit comes at a pivotal time when global voices convene under the Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) to shift the conversation on how food is produced and consumed and the role it plays to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)  

As part of its contribution to the UNFSS, the AGRF 2021 Summit aims to elevate the single, coordinated African voice, by identifying immediate actions and steps to be taken to accelerate progress towards the development of resilient food systems.

Representing the host government, Kenya’s Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, the Hon. Peter Munya, said the conversation at the AGRF needs to extend beyond agriculture and consider the food system from farm to fork.

“We must change the way we approach and prioritize food systems on the continent. We can no longer limit food systems to the farm. Our approach must reflect the complexity and importance of food systems and value of collaboration, as governments, the private sector, development partners and consumers, to deliver more inclusive and resilient food systems on the continent,” he said.

COVID-19 highlighted the fragility of the continent’s food systems. Lockdowns, curfews and illnesses revealed threats in supply throughout Africa, and the pandemic was another example of the need to build more resilient food systems on the continent. Since 2014, droughts have cost the region US$372 billion. While the worst locust outbreak in a generation in Ethiopia and Somalia during 2019/20 destroyed over 356,000MT of cereals and almost 1.5 million hectares of crop and pasture in Ethiopia.

The AGRF 2021 Summit will provide a platform for all stakeholders to align on the actions and commitments needed to build resilient food systems which end hunger and support the delivery of the sustainable development goals.

Jennifer Baarn, Acting Managing Director AGRF said, the AGRF 2021 Summit is a defining moment for Africa’s food systems. “This is our time to create our own vision for Africa’s food systems,” she said.  It is our time to listen, innovate, plan and invest for Africa. What we invest in African agriculture today will determine the future of food in Africa and the world tomorrow,” she added.

Some of the key highlights at this year’s AGRF 2021 Summit will include the Agribusiness Deal Room, a platform connecting entrepreneurs and governments with investors. This year the deal room is aiming to showcase a pipeline of USD 5 billion of investment opportunities across Africa. The Summit will also feature the Africa Food Prize, a Presidential Summit, and a Ministerial Roundtable.

This year’s launch attracted among other dignitaries, Hon. Gerardine Mukeshimana, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Rwanda, and Hon. Salifou Ouedraogo, Minister of Agriculture, Bukina Faso. It was also graced by David Nabarro, Special Envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organisation; Godfrey Bahigwa, Director of Rural Economy and Agriculture at African Union Commission, among other guests.

-Ends-

For Media Inquiries Contact:

Eugene Ng’ang’a

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Tel +254 703 516 173

About the AGRF

The AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. Under AGRF’s current strategy, the Forum is particularly focused on driving progress of the Malabo Declaration by 2025 as the priority set of commitments African Heads of State and Government have made to strengthen agricultural development at the center of the continent’s overall development and progress. The AGRF is organised by the AGRF Partners Group, a coalition of institutions that care about Africa’s agriculture transformation.   

About the AGRF Partner’s Group  

The AGRF Partners Group is made up of 26 leading actors in African agriculture all focused on putting farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economies. Members include: African Development Bank (AfDB), African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), African Union Commission (AUC), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Bayer AG, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CGIAR System Organization, Corteva Agriscience, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Government of Rwanda, Grow Africa (AUDA-NEPAD), Heifer International, IKEA Foundation, International Development Research Center (IDRC), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mastercard Foundation, OCP Group, Rockefeller Foundation, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU), Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Syngenta Foundation, The Tony Blair Institute, UPL Limited, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Yara International ASA.