2015 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF)

Middle: Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President,
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
Right: Mr. Hugh Scott, Director,
Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund

29 September - 2 October 2015. Lusaka, Zambia. This year’s African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) was themed: “Walking the Talk on Youth and Women: Bringing Inclusive Agricultural Markets to Life.” The event is livestreamed.

The event is being jointly organized by the AGRF Partners Group, the Government of Zambia and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA).

The theme of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) held ahead of the 2015 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) was ”Empowering the Private Sector to Boost Africa’s Green Revolution.” With almost US $250 million in financing from eight donor countries, AECF is instrumental to addressing the dearth of capital available to support fledgling African businesses—particularly small enterprises focused on various aspects of farming and food production.

The biggest need in agribusiness in Africa is investment, adding that AECF is in a certain sense laying the groundwork for investors from outside of Africa who are eager to capitalize on Africa’s growing market for food and agriculture products but unsure about where to put their money. Feeding Africa with processed tomatoes, sugar, bread, and milk and providing farmers with things like seeds and vaccines for chickens, it’s a huge business. We are really building a pipeline of investible companies for people who want to invest in African agribusinesses. Gem Argwings-Kodhek, the agribusiness adviser to AECF

AECF officials also used the event to release a report (69 pages) detailing how its portfolio of 160+ projects across Africa is having a significant impact on the lives of rural poor people by addressing some of the continent’s most urgent development challenges.

• In 2014, the AECF portfolio reached an estimated 1.39 million households – equivalent to seven million people. 
• In 2014 alone, projects funded by the AECF generated the equivalent of US $117 million in benefits for poor households; help provide over 5,000 jobs, and improved access to clean, sustainable energy for over 200,000 families.
• More details are available in this unique report which have been brought to life in a presentation available for viewing / download here.

See: AGRF 2015 Program + Speakers available to media at AGRF 2015

Extract of the programme

Women in Agribusiness Forum

The Forum was an opportunity for women agriculture/ agribusiness owners and those with programs that support women to connect with peers and industry leaders, expand their networks, learn about capacity development resources and discuss key points (including desired outcomes) to be shared during the AGRF. 

Launch of 2015 “African Agricultural Status Report”

Overview of Report, Commentary and Feedback Keynote: Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, CEO and Head of Mission, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN).

The Africa Progress Report 2015 explains the bold steps that leaders globally and in Africa must take to achieve this vision. Above all, the report shows that the global climate moment is also Africa’s moment – Africa’s moment to lead the world.

ENGLISH
FRENCH
INFOGRAPHICS
PHOTOS
VIDEOS

Theme: The Catalysts for Increased Inclusion in African Agriculture and Agribusiness 

• Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner, Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union 
• Dr. Theo de Jager, President, Pan African Farmers’ Organization 
• Mr. Lucas Messo, CEO, Agriculture Finance Corporation 
• Dr. Chiji Ojukwu, Director, Agriculture and Agroindustry, African Dev. Bank 
• Ms. Monica Musonda, Founder and CEO, Java Foods

Theme: Improved Inputs and Increased Mechanization - Toward Modern Farming and Agribusiness Development on the Continent

• Dr. Hans Balyamujura, CEO, Zed Group 
• Dr. Florence Wambugu, Founder and CEO, Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International Case Studies: 
• Dr. Rob Smith, Senior Vice-President and Manager EAME, AGCO 
• Mr. Dyborn Chibonga, CEO, Nat’l. Smallholder Farmers’ Assoc. of Malawi 
• Ms. Elly Mwale, CEO, Glymo Enterprises 
• Mr. Kofi Adomakoh, Director, Project and Export Development Finance, African Export-Import Bank Discussants 
• Dr. Prasun Kumar Das, Project Manager, IFAD-APRACA Project on Rural Finance, Asia-Pacific and Agricultural Credit Association 
• Mr. Justin Rakotoarisaona, Secretary General, African Seed Trade Association 
• Mr. Ousmane Badiane, Director, Africa, International Food Policy Research Institute 
• Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Senior Program Officer, International Development Research Centre

A Pillar of Modern Farming - Agriculture Infrastructure and Mechanization Models

• Ms. Ida Naserwa, Managing Director, Bukanga Lonzo Agribusiness Park, Democratic Republic of Cong 
• Mr. Nuradin Osman, Director Africa & Middle East, AGCO 
• Dr. Mbette Mshindo Msolla, Country ManagerTanzania African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership Discussants: 
• Mr. Abraham Sarfo, Program Manager, Agriculture Vocational and Technical Education (ATVET), CAADP 
• Mr. Emerson Zhou, Executive Director, Beira Corridor 
• Ms. Eva Zansanze, Manager, Cenergy Global Limited 
• Hon. Ms. Luisa Meque, Vice-Minister of Agriculture and National Food Security, Republic of Mozambique

Theme: The Keys to Effectively Financing Youth and Women Owned Enterprises in Africa 

• Ms. Tacko Ndiaye, Senior Officer for Gender, Equality and Rural Development, FAO Keynote Address: Mr. Nelson Tangwena, CIO, Homestrings
• Ms. Lindsay Wallace, Deputy Director, Financial Inclusion, MasterCard Foundation 
• Ms. Betty Kibaara, Project Coordinator, Rockefeller Foundation 
• Mr. Saleh Gashua, Secretary General, African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association 
• Mr. Chris Nikoi, Regional Director, Bureau for Southern Africa, United Nations - World Food Programme Case Studies: Investment Opportunities 
• Mr. Ben Zulu, MD, Zamibia Seed Company Limited 
• Dr. Gertrude Mampwe, CEO, Getma Herbal Health 
• Mr. Best Dorah, Manager -Strategy and International Cooperation, African Export-Import Bank Discussants 
• Mr. Godfrey Chinoera, CEO, Zimbabwe Agricultural Development Trust 
• Ms. Elizabeth Ssendiwala, Regional Gender & Youth Coordinator, East & Southern Africa Region, International Fund for Agricultural Development 
• Mr. Scott Overdyke, Senior Program and Planning Manager, Root Capital 
• Hon. Mr. Beda Machar, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Cooperatives and Rural Development

Background:

The AGRF was established in 2010, following a three year series of African Green Revolution Conferences (AGRC) held in Oslo, Norway from 2006–2008. Moving the venue to Africa anchored the African ownership of this global initiative. The AGRF seeks to bring together African Heads of State, Ministers, farmers, private agribusiness firms, financial institutions, NGOs, civil society, scientists, and other stakeholders to discuss and develop concrete investment plans for achieving the green revolution in Africa. The Forum focuses on promoting investments and policy support for driving agricultural productivity and income growth for African farmers in an environmentally sustainable way.

• The AGRF has grown in scope and focus to become a “platform of platforms” on the development of African agriculture-as-enterprise. 
• The first AGRF was held in Accra, Ghana in September, 2010. The Forum was Chaired by H.E. Kofi A. Annan, former UN Secretary General and hosted by H.E. John Atta Mills, President of Ghana. 
• The second AGRF was held in 2012, in Arusha, Tanzania and was hosted by President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H. E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. 
• In 2013, the AGRF moved to the home of the Maputo Declaration on African Agriculture, and was held in Maputo, Mozambique. 
• The fourth AGRF was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and was hosted by the Ethiopian Government and the African Union, who convened the meeting at the new African Union Headquarters Conference Center. More than 1000 participants attended 2014 AGRF – making it the largest agriculture focused event of 2014. The 2014 AGRF was significant as it unpacked the continental theme – the African Union’s “Year of Agriculture and Food Security”.

Since 2013, the AGRF has adopted a dual mode, with alternate years hosting a minor and major AGRF respectively. The minor AGRF, held every odd year, features an-invite only specific-issue focus “Forum” unpacked at length by about 300 delegates; while the major AGRF, held every even year, will feature a broader agenda, with presentations on results of achievements in key areas and host upwards of 800 delegates

Related: 
23 September 2015. SNV, in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, has launched a 5 year multi-million project to provide rural out-of-school youth in Rwanda, Tanzania and Mozambique with vital employment skills through training in business development and financial literacy, as well as technical and life skills. OYE matches youth with improved employability skills with markets and coaches them towards (self-) employment and small enterprise development.

The Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) team 

in SNV Rwanda hosted SNV’s Chief Executive Officer, 

Allert van den Ham on 9th September on a field visit 

to assess the impact of SNV’s employment related 

work at the grassroots.

• The OYE project facilitates internships, on-the-job-training opportunities, and placements in private and public enterprises in the renewable energy sector in Rwanda as well as two others countries in Sub Sahara—Tanzania and Mozambique.
• The programme also promotes the establishment of new youth-led enterprises by connecting youth to financial institutions and ensuring that young entrepreneurs benefit from continued business coaching and peer-to-peer learning.
• Since the start of the programme in 2014, more than 8,000 youth have been trained in theoretical and practical aspects of the programme in the three countries. Already, the programme generated employment opportunities for 800 youth, and led to the establishment of over 60 new youth led enterprises. In Rwanda, over the entire project period, at least 4,000 young people are expected to be trained in domestic biogas, improved cooking stoves, briquette production and solar technologies, of which 2,500 will be employed with a total of 70 youth-led renewable energy enterprises.