WEBINAR: innovations and successes in Farmer’s-led businesses and SMEs in Africa

19 November 2020.  Session N°1: Increased market opportunities through added-value and branded products.

COLEACP and PAFO collaborate to support farmers’ organisations, cooperatives and SMEs to seize opportunities in new markets and to establish key partnerships to strengthen their competitiveness. PAFO and COLEACP launched a series of sessions on Innovations and successes of African farmer-led businesses and SMEs which will share best practices from entrepreneurs, farmers and agripreneurs across the world, with a focus on innovations in production methods, markets development, digital solutions, technologies and circular economy. 

They also featured views on the supporting policy, research, finance and investment environment. PAFO and COLEACP held a series of 2-hour sessions, every 2 months, aiming to: 

• Increase awareness and use of existing innovations, led by farmers’ organisations and SMEs across value chains 
• Highlight forthcoming innovative technologies and practices with potential for farmers’ organisations and SMEs 
• Exchange best practices and successes across regions in the continent and with the EU 
• Provide tailored support services (training, technical assistance, extension services, access to finance and documented case studies). 

This first session focused on successes and innovations that supply added-value and develop more sophisticated products for local and regional markets.

• What are the key drivers to capture more added-value for African businesses: technology, finance, know-how, business relations? 
• Has Covid-19 accelerated adoption of innovations? 
• Value-addition and branding are key in very competitive markets. What skills do development entrepreneurs need to acquire and upgrade to reach more sophisticated high-value markets? 
• What are the most urgent areas in value-addition and processing which need policy-makers and investors attention and action to support entrepreneurship and employment in Africa? 
• Do the entrepreneurs see opportunities in the implementation of the AfCFTA to expand processing facilities and trade within the continent? 

Launch of the Innovation Series 

• Stephen Mintah, Chairman, COLEACP 
• Elizabeth Nsimadala, President, PAFO 

Panel: Successes of businesses 

• Halatou Dem, Director General, Les Céréales de TATAM SARL, Mali 
• Eric Muthomi, CEO, Stawi Foods and Fruits Limited, Kenya 
• Alex Mutua, Managing Director, Goshen Farm Exporters, Kenya 
• Alice Riouall, Founder and CEO, Mango So, Burkina Faso 

Discussants 

• Wim Olthof, Deputy Head, Rural Development, Food Security, Nutrition, EC 
• Ousmane Badiane, Executive Chairperson, AKADEMIYA2063 and Member of Mamo Panel 
• Emanuele Santi, Fund Manager at Bamboo Capital Partners