IFC Sustainable Agribusiness Conference 2013

June 4-6, 2013. IFC’s Sustainable Business Advisory in Africa program organized a conference on Sustainable Agribusiness in Nairobi.

The event brought together the private sector, donors, civil society, and financial institutions to discuss how to support smallholder farmers and address climate change in Africa. Food security was also one of the main themes discussed at the conference, which included panels on how to invest in sustainable supply chains in Africa.

There was a presentation on IFC Investment and Advisory Innovations

• Business Brief for Sustainable Agribusiness in Africa
• Investment facilities and GAFSP
• Handbook on Supply Chain Management
• Handbook on Smallholder Engagement

Conference Agenda »

IFC also presented This is Africa, a publication of the Financial Times, its media partner at the event.

Growing interest in African agriculture bodes well for the continent's development and attention is turning to consolidation and growth.

How can multinational companies forge close relations to Africa's smallholder farmers?
What role can technology play in boosting productivity? How can financing be unleashed to support growth?

With comment and insight from leading agriculture and food retail companies, including Unilever, Starbucks and General Mills, This Is Africa - in association with IFC - explores the new era in agricultural development.

Interview and comments from:

• Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University
• Ken Powell, Chief Executive Office, General Mills
• Mohit Arora, Director of Agriculture, Standard Bank Africa
• James Mwai, Acting Executive Director, Fairtrade Africa
• Ram Bhavnani, former Agriculture Minister, Ghana

To download the report click on the link: African agriculture report.pdf  3.12 MB

At the launch of the African agribusiness special report, 

This Is Africa's senior reporter, Adam Green, discusses the report's central themes.

For the launch of This Is Africa's agribusiness special report this June, Adam Green speaks 

to Usha Rao-Monari, director of the Sustainable Business Advisory department

Background:
IFC works with small businesses, micro- and smallholder farmers, banks, large companies, and others to provide business management training that can help enable small businesses to grow, find markets, and access bank financing. Our work enables farmers to employ sustainable farming methods, and helps small businesses become bankable and contribute to economic growth, key IFC development goals.

IFC uses two different platforms to reach farmers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs who could benefit from business management training: Business Edge, classroom-based business workshops, and SME Toolkit, free online tools, templates, how-to articles, and training to help small businesses grow.

Related: 
On December 4-5, 2012, IFC’s Farmer and SME Training team (FAST) hosted a roundtable event to discuss private sector strategies to expand supply chains by engaging with smallholder farmers. The event drew participation from global corporations and service providers, including ABN-Amro, Bayer, ECOM, Geotraceability, Grow Cocoa, Standard Bank, Starbucks, Syngenta, UTZ, and Walmart. The discussions highlighted solutions for conveying training, finance, and inputs to smallholder farmers. A diverse gathering of experienced practitioners, supply chain managers, and donor representatives identified three emerging themes at the forefront of the sector’s development.

The event confirmed the private sector’s commitment to strengthening sustainable supply chains of smallholder farmers, and it produced enthusiastic interest in developing partnerships among attendees. FAST has incorporated the insights from this event into a handbook of good practices for firms working with smallholder farmers. IFC expects to launch the handbook in May 2013.

See full proceedings of the event & the agenda and list of participants
Related: 

Stakeholder Engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in Emerging Markets201 pages | © May 2007 IFC

This handbook endeavors to provide a comprehensive overview of good practice in stakeholder engagement, with a dedicated focus on stakeholder groups that are "external" to the core operation of the business, such as affected communities, local government authorities, non-governmental and other civil society organizations, local institutions and other interested or affected parties.

The handbook is divided into two parts: Part One contains they key concepts and principles of stakeholder engagement, the practices that are known to work, and the tools to support the delivery of effective stakeholder engagement. Part Two shows how these principles, practices and tools fit with the different phases of the project cycle, from initial concept, through construction and operations, to divestment and/or decommissioning.

Agribusiness Finance Program
Credit Bureau Program
IFC’s Africa Credit Bureau Program provides advisory services to central banks, public and private banks, bankers associations, other lenders and credit providers, and consumers to help build efficient and effective credit information sharing or reporting systems. The program is currently active in Ghana, Mozambique, and Tanzania. To read a feature story about the program, click here

Global Index Insurance Facility (GIIF) Program 
The GIIF Program is helping expand access to weather insurance for farmers and livestock herders, who often struggle to obtain coverage for their crops or animals. Backed by the European Union and Netherlands, the facility will work in a number of emerging markets, with an initial focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. To read a feature story on GIIF, click here