Information webinar with the ANH Academy team

9 March 2025. Information webinar with the ANH Academy team about the Request for proposals: ANH Academy Regional Collaboratives

Entering its third phase in 2025, the ANH Academy is building on its growing interdisciplinary community, directing its efforts towards informing and supporting evidence-based policy change, through expanded partnerships in Africa and South Asia. As part of this process, it will establish regional collaborative partnerships—Regional Collaboratives—which will drive the use of evidence and knowledge in policy decision making in Africa and South Asia. The institutions involved in these partnerships will be formally integrated into the ANH Academy, co-managing and co-delivering with existing partners.

Request for proposals: ANH Academy Regional Collaboratives

The Regional Collaboratives will be key partners in delivering the programme’s Theory of Change, through a co-design and co-delivery model that will foster skills, knowledge, and information needed to drive progressive evidence-based sustainable and equitable food systems policies and programmes for nutrition and health.

Two Regional Collaboratives will be funded, with awards of up to £2.3 million each for a period of 48 months.  The estimated start date is November 2025.

There will be 8–9-month inception phase for Regional Collaborative formation and onboarding, including laying the foundation for ways of working, governance and reporting mechanisms and project related financial systems. We will collaboratively design a review process to evaluate the inception phase progress, assess alignment with the objectives of the ANH Academy Platform and tailor ways of working. Conditional on successful reviews, Regional Collaboratives will operate for 48 months, inclusive of the inception phase.

Activity	Timeline (2025)
Launch of Stage 1 Proposals	28 February
Information webinar with the ANH Academy team – More details coming soon	11 March
Stage 1 Proposals submission deadline	24 April
Stage 1 reviews completed / notification of outcome	29 May
Invitation to submit Stage 2 proposals	5 June
Stage 2 Proposal development	5 June – 25 August
Stage 2 proposal submission deadline	25 August
Stage 2 proposal reviews completed	25 September
Notification of awards	8 October
Due diligence and contracting completed	16 November
Expected start date	November 2025

Biodiversity & Food Systems Community Call

17 March 2025. 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam). First Biodiversity & Food Systems Community Call of the  the Netherlands Food Partnership. 

Based on consultations and interactions with >70 organizations in the food systems and biodiversity space during 2024, the Netherlands Food Partnership developed a collective plan for 2025 with four main activities to further bridge biodiversity and food systems as a community.

There is a lot of energy to do more on biodiversity and food systems. Taking a systems approach surfaces biodiversity as a critical leverage point to build resilience and address multiple challenges of food systems (see figure below). Moreover, in the urgency of climate change, biodiversity management is promoted as a top agri-food system climate solution in the National Determined Contributions (NDCs)(COP29, November 2024).

You can also find more background information on the 2025 plans in two different formats (long read or slide deck) and longer term theory of change here.

Agenda:

Global Processes & Events 

• At what events will you be present? 
• How can this community support our collective impact at these events? 

Use Cases 

• Selection criteria 
• What insights must jump out from the use cases to make it useful for you and the community? 

Resources 

https://www.nfpconnects.com/communities/bridging-biodiversity-and-food-systems

Related:

20 - 23 May 2025. Kunming, Yunnan, China. International Agrobiodiversity Congress (IAC)

Financing Smallholder Farmers Conference

17 - 21 March 2025. African Development Bank, Pan-African Farmers Organization host conference on channelling financing to smallholder farmers

The conference brought together policymakers, research institutions, farmer associations, financial institutions, investors, development partners, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, agribusiness leaders, and technology providers.

 Key focus areas:

• Mapping the ecosystem of actors and highlighting scalable financial mechanisms.
• Showcase innovative funding models to support smallholder farmers.
• Strengthening linkages between the smallholder support ecosystem and funders.
• Provide a robust data collection platform to track progress.
• Identify actionable innovative financing mechanisms, including climate-finance for smallholder farmers, that can be employed to scale successful financing models.

Although, the African Development Bank and other development partners support African governments and large agricultural companies, critical players supporting smallholder farmers –seed and fertilizer companies, agtech and fintech firms, microfinance institutions, off-takers, aggregators, and advisory service providers – struggle to tap affordable financing at suitable terms.

PAFO represents more than 80 million African farmers integrated into nearly 73 national organizations, including unions, federations, cooperatives, and associations. It is recognized as the representative body of African farmers’ organizations at the highest continental level. 

Day 3: Conference on 'Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale'

11-13 March 2025. Brussels. Conference on ´Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale

Extract of Day 3

Consultation on the update of the AU-EU R&I FNSSA Roadmap

This session shared lessons and recommendations of the conference to strengthen, review and validate the emerging recommendations for the next phase of the FNSSA R&I Roadmap (2027-2036).

• Stephen Onakuse, President of AGRINATURA
• Patrick Okori, Executive Secretary of RUFORUM (Presentation)
• Sokona Dagnoko, Executive Assistant to the Executive Secretary, head partnerships at RUFORUM (Presentation)
• Sylvie Lewicki, Deputy Director General for Research and Strategy at CIRAD (Presentation)

Framing of the AU-EU FNSSA International Research Consortium (IRC)

This session gathered inputs for defining the salient processes in the operationalization process during the IRC pilot phase of the CEA-FIRST project.

• Irene Annor-Frempong, FARA (Presentation)
• Laurent Bochereau, Minister-Counsellor European Union Delegation to the African Union
• Luis Vivas-Alegre, Team leader of the unit “Research and Innovation” of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
• Leonard Mizzi, Head of unit « Sustainable agri-food systems & fisheries » in the Directorat-General for International Partnerships, European Commission
• Mahaman Bachir Saley, Senior scientific officer African Union Commission
• Hamady Diop, Post-Malabo CAADP Coordinator and Senior Advisor to the AU Special Envoy on Food Systems
• Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director and Head of Mission of FARA

SCAR-ARCH event: Standing Committee for Agricultural Research - the European Agricultural Research towards greater impact on global CHallenges (ARCH)

This session addressed the importance of the internationalization of the EU R&I co-funded partnerships to achieve sustainable development at European and global scale, and propose pathways to improve R&I projects supported by EU co-funded partnerships, the inclusion of strategic third country partners with limited budget resources. 

• Hans Joerg Lutzeyer (Presentation)
• Panel (Presentation)
• Vincenzo Lorusso, Policy Officer at the Directorate-General Science, Technology and Innovation cooperatio
• Leonard Mizzi, Head of unit « Sustainable agri-food systems & fisheries » in the Directorat-General for International Partnerships, European Commission
• Mahaman Bachir Saley, Senior scientific officer African Union Commission
• Claude Yven, Head of the Food Unit in the Environment, Ecosystems and Biological Resources Department of the French National Research Agency and coordinator of the FutureFoods project.

GFAiR, innovating and operationalising agile impact partnership at scale

Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAiR) and AgriCord presented and discussed the Global NARS Consortium (GNC) with (funding) partners. With the participation of EC DG INTPA, APAARI, EFARD, FARA, sub-regional R&I Organisations and NARS in Africa, and CGIAR.

• Ravi Khetarpal, Executive Secretary of APAARI (Presentation)
• Manish Rai, Head of Operations of APAARI
• Leonard Mizzi, Head of unit « Sustainable agri-food systems & fisheries » in the Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission
• 
  Katja Vuori, Chief Executive officer at AgriCord
  
• Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director and Head of Mission of FARA
• Romano De Vivo, Vice Chair GFAiR – The Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation
• Patrick Caron, Vice-chair of the CGIAR Integrated Partnership board member, President of Agropolis International

Enhancing agroeocology research in Africa. Regional Multi-actors Research Network on agroecology in Africa

This session presented the 3 regional multi-actors research networks (RMRN) and the support provided by FARA, RUFORUM and JRC. In partnership with stakeholders, the RMRN identified specific agri-food systems challenges, develop effective solutions, and integrate comprehensive agroecology curricula into higher education institutions.

• Baitsi Podisi, CAADP-XP4 Regional Programme Coordinator (Presentation)
• Thomas Dubois, Director, Impact Delivery at ICIPE (Presentation)
• Diarra Karamoko, UCAD
• Kwaku Antwi, Policy Officer at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) (Presentation)
• Félix Rembold, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Directorate D – Sustainable Resources, Food Security Unit

Global Monitoring and Evaluation of the DeSIRA Initiative 

This session presented and discussed the DeSIRA Global Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and the results of 2024 - by Pascale Debord, ASRAFS (See Presentation below)

Day 2: Conference on 'Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale'

11-13 March 2025. Brussels. Conference on ´Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale

Extract of Day 2

How to support innovation at scale for productive, inclusive and sustainable food system transformation and potential contribution of research

Frame the conditions to foster innovation at scale by making use of R&I outcomes and mobilizing research capacities through (i) AIS strengthening and enabling policies, (ii) funding mechanisms (public and private) and access to markets, (iii) capacity strengthening for improved Agricultural Innovation Systems.

• Guy Faure, DG INTPA (Presentation): DeSIRA recommendation : Access to a diversity of public and private finance to support innovation at different phase of development was missing to support the scaling efforts of many DeSIRA projects.

Breakout sessions - How do actors understand and address the scaling of innovation?

Session 1: Supporting innovations at scale through policies, policy frameworks and strategies: Boru Douthwaite, Selkie Consulting Limited. (Presentation)

Session 2: Supporting innovations at scale through relevant funding mechanisms and markets: Elise Juguet, Horus Development Finance (Presentation: see below). Elise Juguet, a development and agriculture finance expert, has worked in impact investing, consulting, and financial access. In 2024, she led DeSIRA-LIFT’s project on funding responsible innovation for agrifood system transformation in Africa.

Conclusion of this session: How to mobilise public and private funding to support innovation from start-up to scale up ?

• Design institutions and funding mechanisms that support long-term and equal R&I partnerships with the aim to maintain the successful R&I partnerships.
• Strengthen public-private partnerships and their institutionalisation able to mobilise blended finance to support responsible innovation at scale with a specific focus on social inclusion and gender equity

Session 3: Supporting innovation at scale through capacity strengthening for improved Agricultural Innovation System. Syndhia Mathe, CIRAD. (Presentation)

High-level panel:: Pathways for future interventions (in support of innovation for productive, green and inclusive food systems transformations

This panel discussed  improving synergies and complementarities between various EU supports to R&I and by mobilizing public and private funding mechanisms.

• 
  Diego Canga Fano: Acting Deputy Director-General at DG AGRI
  
• Fenton Beed, IFAD, Lead Global Technical Specialist
• Vincent Martin, FAO: Director of Office of Innovation
• David Amudavi, Biovision Africa Trust, executive director
• Joyce Kamande, Safi Organics, Kenya, organic fertilizer and bio-inputs
• Belinda Borck, Global Public Policy Coordinator & Chocolonely Foundation Manager Tony’ Chocolonely (NL)
• Christophe Clergeau, Member of the European Parliament
• Rosalinda Scalia, Deputy Head of Unit Bioeconomy and Food Systems, DG RTD, European Commission
• Arouna Lawani, Vice president of ROPPA, president of PNOPPAB, West Africa

The future EU interventions on R&I to support the Global Gateway Strategy and the AU-EU Innovation Agenda

• DeSIRA+, Christophe Larose, team Leader Sustainable Agriculture in the Unit “Sustainable Agri-Food systems and Fisheries “ in Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission (Presentation)
• ERASMUS+, Annica Floren, deputy Head of Unit in charge of Youth, Education and Research, Culture at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships. (Presentation)
• 
  HE work programme 25-27, Luis Vivas Alegre, Team leader of the unit “Research and Innovation” of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission (Presentation)

DeSIRA-LIFT Synthesis Brief (4-pages)

Lessons and recommendations from the DeSIRA Initiative

G20 Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS-G20) Dialogues

11 March 2025. The G20 Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS G20) Southern Africa Regional
Dialogue was co-convened by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) South Africa, FANRPAN, CCARDESA, the South African Department of Agriculture, and FARA. The virtual event brought together 178 participants, marking the first of a series of consultations aimed at integrating Africa’s agricultural priorities into the G20’s global initiatives.

This inaugural meeting sets the stage for upcoming regional consultations, with virtual dialogues for East  and Central Africa (March 13), West Africa (March 20), and North Africa (March 25), alongside an in-person national meeting in Pretoria on March 18. These consultations aim to strengthen Africa’s position on agricultural innovation and ensure that the continent’s priorities are effectively reflected in global agricultural science discussions.

The outcomes of the MACS meeting directly contribute to advancing Africa’s agricultural priorities within the broader G20 agenda, emphasizing the importance of integrated policies, sustainable solutions, and enhanced resilience. FANRPAN and its partners are committed to ensuring that these discussions continue to drive global action, with a strong focus on addressing Africa’s unique challenges and shaping a future where agriculture, food security, and climate resilience are central to sustainable development.

13 March 2025. The G20 Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS-G20) - East and Central Africa Regional Dialogue was co-convened by ARC, FANRPAN, the South African Department of Agriculture, and other  partners. 

More than 100 stakeholders from East and Central Africa came together, for the second virtual G20 Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS G20) regional consultation.

This event was part of a series of consultations aimed at aligning Africa’s agricultural priorities with the global G20 agenda. The dialogue continued, with FANRPAN’s nodes, Vivian Kazi and Joshua Laichena, facilitating discussions that built on the ongoing discussion of resilience, innovation, and sustainability within Africa’s agricultural systems.

The discussions echoed many of the challenges and solutions raised during the previous Southern Africa session, emphasizing the shared barriers African farmers face across regions. From the digital divide to the urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices, the conversation highlighted the interconnected nature of agricultural issues throughout the continent.

A key focus remained on integrating biodiversity conservation into agricultural practices, with a call for policies that support sustainable land management and ecosystem preservation. Similarly, the importance of fostering multi-sectoral collaboration to address the Water-Energy-Food-Health Nexus was underscored, with experts pointing to the need for synergies between these critical systems to enhance food security, water availability, and energy access.

The conversation on digital agriculture continued to hammer on the challenges posed by the digital divide between rural and urban areas. Issues such as digital illiteracy, data privacy concerns, and the high costs of digital tools for smallholder farmers were addressed, with solutions like infrastructure investment, satellite internet, and community connectivity hubs proposed to bridge these gaps.

The potential for building resilient agricultural Bio economies was also discussed, with an emphasis on policies and investments that can support smallholder farmers while driving economic growth at larger scales. Sustainable soil health practices and regenerative agriculture approaches were presented as solutions to improve soil quality and productivity across various farming systems.

Related

18 March 2025. A National Dialogue South African towards the Agricultural Working Group engagement and the G20’s Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS-G20) will take place on 18 March 2025 at the ARC Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants Institute (ARC-VIMP) in Roodeplaat, Pretoria from 09h00-16h00.

20 March 2025. The next virtual consultation will take place on March 20, 2025, with West Africa joining the conversation. This continued engagement is vital for ensuring that Africa’s agricultural priorities are effectively integrated into the global G20 agenda, driving innovation and action toward a more sustainable, resilient future for the continent’s agricultural systems.

25 March 2025. G20 Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS-G20) North Africa Dialogue

Defunding Industrial Agriculture and Funding Agroecology

6 - 8 March 2025. AFSA. Shifting Financial Power: Defunding industrial agriculture, Redirecting funding to Agroecology. AFSA hosted a three-day gathering in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together farmers, activists, researchers, and policymakers to develop a continental campaign roadmap aimed at challenging financial flows to industrial agriculture and redirecting funding to #agroecology. 

With African governments increasingly aligning with corporate-driven industrial agriculture, this gathering is a bold step towards shifting the financial and policy landscape in favor of sustainable, farmer-led food systems.

Building on AFSA’s Healthy Soil, Healthy Food initiative, this gathering mapped financial flows, strategized divestment from industrial agriculture, and mobilized action to ensure that agroecology gets the investment it deserves. 

Participants will explored ways to challenge the status quo, push for policy change, and amplify African food sovereignty. 

13/03 AFSA The root of the problem: Defunding Industrial Agriculture and Funding Agroecology 

Agroecology is not just a farming method—it is a movement for food sovereignty that rejects colonial agricultural systems. By strengthening farmer-led seed systems, ecological farming practices, and local food economies, agroecology restores power to African farmers and communities. To break free from this cycle of financial extraction, African governments must redirect agricultural funding to agroecology and prioritize policies that support smallholder farmers. There must also be accountability for international financial institutions that finance land grabs and corporate agribusiness.

In addition, strengthening Pan-African farmer movements is crucial to push for policy changes that benefit smallholder farmers rather than multinational corporations. Tracking financial flows and exposing how industrial agriculture is being funded will also be critical in dismantling the exploitative systems that keep African agriculture dependent on external control.

Related: Call for Proposals for a Study on Capital Flows into African Agribusiness

Terms of Reference (ToR) for a Study on Capital Flows into African Agribusiness: Focus on Multilateral Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) Background and Context The Alliance for Food

Agrifood Systems Technologies and Innovations Outlook (ATIO)

14 March 2025. Agrifood Systems Technologies and Innovations Outlook (ATIO)

• Seminar Series FAO's Office of Innovation 
• with guest speaker, Dr Philip Pardey.

What is ATIO?

Agrifood systems stakeholders across the globe face information gaps that limit their ability to make evidence-informed decisions on the development and use of science, technologies and innovations (STIs) for the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems. 

• The ATIO initiative, led by FAO's Office of Innovation, addresses this by providing access to relevant data, evidence and critical reflections on agrifood STIs through two main outlets: a biennial report offering a snapshot of current patterns and foresight, and an open-access knowledge base offering user-friendly data, information, and analysis for a wide range of stakeholders. 
• The ATIO Seminar Series features speakers engaged in the ATIO initiative, showcasing emerging topics from the forthcoming ATIO report, which will be launched in 2025. 
• The forthcoming ATIO report will be launched in October 2025 at the Science and Innovation Forum.

About the speaker:

Philip Pardey, Professor of Science and Technology Policy at the University of Minnesota, directs the GEMS Informatics Centre, which focuses on agrifood data-driven innovation. With over 430 publications, his research centres on agricultural R&D policies and sustainable productivity growth. He has received numerous honours, including the Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture.

• Agrifood value chains: changing value chains influence practices and economic environments for producers, including their use of technologies.
• Innovation timelines: It takes time for agrifood innovations to progress from idea to impact.
• Research and development (R&D) investments: emerging trends in global public and private agrifood R&D spending.
• Implications for the Global South: challenges and opportunities in low- and middle-income countries.

Previous ATIO Seminars 

 In this video, Philip Pardey, Director of the InSTePP Center at the University of Minnesota, emphasizes the importance of FAO’s ATIO initiative in harnessing science and technology to boost economic development and improve livelihoods globally.

   

In this video, Prof. Laurens Klerkx of the University of Talca (Chile) and Wageningen University (the Netherlands) provides an overview and forward-looking perspectives on the evolution of Agrifood Innovation Systems (AIS) as a concept and operational tool, including the recent emergence of a new mission-oriented AIS approach in response to some of the current challenges, critiques and trends in the agrifood sector. 

 

Investing in innovative solutions for nutrition-sensitive agriculture

14 March 2025. Investing in innovative solutions for nutrition-sensitive agriculture"

Recording forthcoming

This Infopoint organised by the European Commission (EC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in the lead up to Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, raised awareness on initiatives and solutions financed through EU-IFAD partnership and innovative financing mechanisms catalysing private sector investments in nutrition and investing in climate-resilient agriculture and biodiversity in an inclusive and integrated approach. 

Furthermore, it was an opportunity to explore how current instruments such as the EU’s Global Gateway and IFAD13 could support accelerating nutrition outcomes.

Beyond the N4G Summit, the event also came at a crucial time: at an early stage of the start of the term of the new European Commission when policies and programmes are being developed and advanced such as the Global Gateway.

• Beatrice Ekesa-Onyango, Lead Technical Specialist Nutrition and Social Inclusion, IFAD & Guggi Laryea, Senior Partnership Officer EU&SuppRes, IFAD: Innovative financing instruments were showcased during the event with examples from the EU-IFAD partnerships such as the programme on Diaspora investment in sustainable youth entrepreneurship in Mali and the Yield Investment Fund / Small and Medium Agribusiness Development Fund (SMADF) in Uganda. 
• Alima Keita, Co-founder Ciwara Capital: She shared the experience of an innovative fund owned and managed by Africans living in Europe to support small and medium enterprises in their origin country.

• Erina and Joel Guma, founders of PRISTINE Foods Ltd. based in Uganda, a small enterprise producing liquid and egg powder products, will share their experience as a start-up which grew thanks to access to the Yield Investment Fund.

• Rikke Olivera Grand and Cynthia Torres de Toledo Machado presented the nutrition-climate-biodiversity nexus through the innovative approaches emerging from the Global Programme for Small-scale Agroecology Producers and Sustainable Food Systems Transformation (GP-SAEP) showcasing the experience from Brazil promoting participatory plant breeding through the establishment of agroecological corridors fostering the development of new corn varieties.

• A Video was featured from Asia Farmers’ Association (AFA) in working with rural women on forgotten foods or, better to say, foods for the future. These foods, forgotten by science but not by the rural people are a key part of healthy diets, providing diversity, nutritionally rich foods and are safety nets between seasons. They foster a climate-change-resilient food system approach by integrating traditional risk-management practices born out of the need to adapt to adverse weather conditions. Moreover, they are viable economic opportunities generating income for women, youth and Indigenous Peoples, leveraging on their knowledge.

Related: the Forgotten Foods Collective Action of GFAR

Call for research projects Fonds de Dotation Roullier on soil health

13 March 2025. AAP Recherche Sols 2025-2028: call for research projects Fonds de Dotation Roullier.

The aim of this webinar was to answer all your questions about this call for projects, which encourages innovative research into soil and the associated environmental challenges.

French recording forthcoming

The Fonds de Dotation Roullier: call for proposals for soil research (deadline 21 April). The projects should focus mainly on the following geographical regions: France and Europe and/or the Maghreb and/or Latin America and/or India and/or North America. The funding granted per project will be between €200,000 and a maximum of €400,000.

Academia–Public–Private Partnership Forum

12-14 March 2025. Kigali, Rwanda. 13th Academia–Public–Private Partnership Forum (APPPF) “Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship through University-Industry Partnerships for East Africa’s Sustainable Future.”

This biennial forum provided a unique platform for academia, industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to engage, network, and drive solutions that strengthen academia-industry linkages in East Africa.

It engaged with key stakeholders in academia, industry, and government to foster collaborations, showcased innovations, products, and services to a diverse regional audience.

Extracts of the programme:

DAY 1: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025

Plenary Presentation 1a: Practical aspects and strategies of aligning university research priorities with industry and community needs

• Prof. Alex Ariho, CEO, African Agribusiness Incubators Network, Uganda. 

Panel Session 1: 

How can universities overcome collaboration barriers to address industry and community needs? What are the key motivators to encourage industry to partner and invest in university research and development? How can universities demonstrate their commitment to industry and community needs, and build trust over time?

• Dr. Raymond Ndikumana - Deputy Vice Chancellor, Strategic Planning & Administration, University of Rwanda 
• Dr. Ehud Gachugu, HSC – Deputy CEO, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Kenya 
• Dr. Lina S. Mathew – Director, Science and Technology, Ministry Higher Education, Science and Technology, South Sudan. 
• Prof. Rose Clarke Nanyonga – Vice Chancellor, Clarke International University, Uganda 
• Dr. Mucyo Sylvie- Vice Chancellor, Rwanda Polytechnic , Rwanda y Prof. Yves Ndayikunda – President, Research and Career Development Center East Africa

 

Sub-Theme 3: Building a pipeline of innovative leaders and entrepreneurial talent 

Plenary Presentation 3a: Nurturing an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem: A collaborative approach for university, industry and government players

• Hausa Lightbourne, Country Manager, E4Impact, Rwanda. 

DAY 2: THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2025

PANEL SESSION 2: How can universities better support commercialization of research findings and creation of spin-off companies? 

What key criteria do industry consider when evaluating university research for commercialization potential? What role can government play in fostering a more conducive environment for technology transfer and commercialization of research?

• Dr. Eugene Mutimura – Executive Secretary, National Council for Science and Technology, Rwanda Eng. 
• Anke Weisheit - Co-Founder and Chair, Innovation & Business Management, Pharm-Biotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), Mbarara University for Science and Technology, Uganda. 
• Prof. Jane Ambuko - Professor of Horticulture and Postharvest Specialist. University of Nairobi, Kenya 
• Dr. Ignace Gatare- Principal of University of Rwanda –College of Science and technology, Rwanda 
• Prof. Karoli Njau – Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), United Republic of Tanzania

Panel Session 3: How to harness the role of incubation centres, innovation hubs, and accelerators in universities. 

The best approach to integrate entrepreneurship education into traditional academic programs in universities. The most effective strategies for identifying and nurturing young talent with entrepreneurial potential. 

• Mr. Francois Ngoboka - Chief Skills Officer, Ministry of Public Service and Labour, Rwanda y Sylvia Mukasa - Founder/CEO, GlobalX Investments Ltd/ Innovation Labs, Kenya 
• Dr. Philip Pande – Executive Director, Corporate Career Academy, Kenya. 
• Dr. Victor K. Muposhi, Head Academics, Conservation Leadership, School of Wildlife Conservation, ALU, Rwanda 
• Dr. Parfait Yongabo, Division Manager in charge of Institutional Development, Applied Research and Consultancy, Rwanda Polytechnic, Rwanda 

Plenary Presentation 3b: The Role of Universities in Support of Sustainable Development Goals Through UN Academic Impact (UNAI)

• Prof. Peter Wanderi - Principal Corporate Services, Communication & Alumni Relations/ Director Linkages, Mount Kenya University, Kenya. The Case of Mount Kenya University as the Hub Chair for SDG9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. 

Panelists 

• Mr. Francois Ngoboka - Chief Skills Officer, Ministry of Public Service and Labour, Rwanda (Mr. Amos Mfitundinda to represent) 
• Sylvia Mukasa - Founder/CEO, GlobalX Investments Ltd/Innovation Labs, Kenya 
• Dr. Philip Pande – Executive Director, Corporate Career Academy, Kenya. 
• Dr. Victor K. Muposhi, Head Academics, Conservation Leadership, School of Wildlife Conservation, ALU, Rwanda 
• Dr. Parfait Yongabo, Division Manager in charge of Institutional Development, Applied Research and Consultancy, Rwanda Polytechnic, Rwanda

  

DAY 3: FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2025

Plenary Presentation 5: Briefing on East Africa University - Industry Collaboration Support Strategy

•  Bernd Friedrich – Expert for Technology Transfer & Regional Networking, IUCEA

Panel Session 5: Private Sector Perspectives of University-Industry Collaboration 

How private sector measure success of university-industry collaborations? What are the biggest challenges/key pain points in working with universities? What specific skills or areas of expertise are most lacking in recent graduates? 

• Mr. Steven Ruzibiza – CEO, Private Sector Federation, Rwanda y Mr. Steven Sabiti – CEO, Institution of Engineers, Rwanda 
• Mr. Hamad Hamad – Executive Director, Zanzibar Chamber of Commerce, United Republic of Tanzania y Dr. Vincent Gaitho – Chair, Education Sector, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) & Council Chair, Mount Kenya University, Kenya 
• Mr. Christian Nkengurutse - Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burundi 
• Mr. Oscar Kissanga -Executive Director, Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA)

Mapping the food systems.

12 March 2025. First of a training series about the power of mapping the food systems.

Recording forthcoming

This one-hour session of the CLEVERFOOD project explored the power of mapping in food systems. It identified key stakeholders, assess vulnerabilities, and uncover critical management points that shape the way food flows within a system. 

Using a real-world example from the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, it demonstrate how mapping can drive transformation—and discuss the barriers that come with it.

This practical tools for system and stakeholder mapping, is helping to navigate the complexities of food systems in a specific context.

Day 1: Conference on 'Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale'

11-13 March 2025. Brussels. Conference on ´Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale 

The main conference objectives were to:

• Share results and lessons on the contribution of R&I projects to food systems transformation in LMICs through the experiences of UE interventions and similar other international interventions. 
• 
  Identify key enablers and hurdles for innovation at scale for productive, inclusive, and sustainable investments into agrifood systems.
  
  
• Explore future contributions of R&I for agrifood systems transformation, innovation system strengthening and innovation policies in support of development agendas (SDGs, post Malabo, Science Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa, EU Global Gateway strategy).
  
  
• Inform policy makers and provide recommendations on improved complementarity and synergy of EU mechanisms and approaches to support R&I at scale in partner countries, including inputs to the EU-Africa R&I Partnership on FNSSA.

Programme:

1. 
   Day 1 (March 11) EU -funded interventions and other international interventions aiming at supporting innovation in agri-food systems
2. Day 2 (March 12) morning: How to support innovation at scale
3. Day 2 (March 12) afternoon High-level discussions on on-going and future EU policies
4. Day 3 (March 13) Special sessions: the International Research Consortium, SCAR-ARCH meeting, AU/EU Working group on the Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture, DeSIRA+ and the GLOBAL NARS CONSORTIUM (GNC) launched by the Global Forum for Agricultural and Innovation Research (GFAiR, see picture: GFAIR's vice chair Romano de Vivo in conversation with Hans-Jorg Lutzeyer DG RTD)

Extracts of day 1.

SESSION 3: Frame the EU R&I landscape and its instruments (relevance, success, limits) 

This session illustrated the EU capacities to collaborate with partners and to evolve to better address the challenges, with key lessons learnt and recommendations for the future. The panel focused on Europe and Africa partnerships.

• Bernard Mallet: CIRAD, CEA-FIRST (Presentation)

Dialogue between European partners and African partners:

• 
  Nienke Buisman, Head of Unit of International cooperation Asia, Pacific, Africa, Middle East” in
  the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation”, European Commission
• Aggrey Agumya: Executive Director and Head of Mission of FARA
• Luis Viva-Alegre: Team leader of the unit “Research and Innovation” of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
• Peter Werheim, Head of Unit of “Food Systems and Bioeconomy” in the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
• Agnieszka Skuratowicz, Head of Unit ” Youth, Education and Research, Culture” in the Directorate-General for International Partnership, European Commission
• Mathieu Le Grix: AFD, Responsable de la division Agriculture, développement rural et biodiversité
• Stephen Onakuse: President of AGRINATURA
• Patrick Okori: Executive Secretary of RUFORUM
• Mahaman Bachir Saley, AU, Officer-in-Charge of the Science, Technology and Innovation Division of ESTI Department

SESSION 4: Recommendations on R&I harvested during the DeSIRA Connect Days (Latin America, Africa, Asia)

• Presentation by Renaud Guillonnet, DeSIRA LIFT 

Feedback from the regional organization: regional perspectives of the recommendations harvested during the the DeSIRA Connect Days (Latin America, Africa, Asia)

• East Africa: Rosinah Mbenya (PELUM)
• West Africa: Fatou Dieng (CORAF)
• Asia: Khahil Apuzen-Ito (Farmcoop)
• Latin America: Juliana Cardona (SINCHI)

SESSION 6 Agroecology based research & innovation for food system transitions

• Presentation by Oliver Oliveros, Agroecology Coalition 

How agroecology is contributing to food systems transformations? Which type of innovations are needed to make agroecology a change-maker? What is the role of R&I in supporting agroecological innovations?

PARALLEL SESSION Group 3: AE Innovation for nutrition

How to improve nutrition by valorizing neglected and underutilized crops (NUS) based on agroecological approaches from production to consumption? 

• Etienne Basset, SwissAid, Switzerland (Presentation)

PARALLEL SESSION Group 4: Innovation and bio-inputs

What are the innovative technologies for bio-inputs, the new markets, and the challenges (technology, capacity, funding, policy) 

• Thomas Dubois, ICIPE, Kenya

GFAiR's take away:

See more details in Day 3, forthcoming

Donor agencies today are increasingly taking more interest in issues such as institutional sustainability. The past two decades have seen a proliferation of short-term research projects which are hardly brought to scale. The trajectory of many researchers in the South is to hop from one research project to another most of the time funded by external sources.

However, research projects cannot scale if they are not embedded in strong (national) (research) institutes and farmers' organisations. Only strong research institutions can create incubators and connect with accelerators and venture capital to bring research outputs to scale in a market environment. Only strong farmers' organisations can translate development problems in farmer led research and afford scientific expertise.

The CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is funded by donor governments, multilateral organisations and philanthropic foundations. Rather than focussing on its centres of excellence, it could – and should – do more to boost national research systems in developing countries by involving national actors in its research programmes. Capacity building initiatives are often limited to individuals, instead of strengthening institutional capacities. The (dist-)attraction of national researchers out of the national system due to better working and salary conditions, erodes the institutional strength and authority of NARS as well as ownership of the research agenda or alignment to national development and research priorities.

In the current volatile funding landscape, a fundamental rethinking is needed to rediscover the benefits of core funding to national organisations above the never ending proliferation of short-term pilot projects and more fragmentation.

Drastic budget cuts will dominate the discussions during the “Science Week” of the CGIAR in Nairobi from 7 to 12 April, as 10,000 jobs are at risk.

It may dilute the urgency of rethinking the overall agricultural research funding to strengthen national agricultural research and farmers' led research and innovation which is best positioned to bring research to scale, connect with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), pitch bankable research to local finance actors and investors and influence national policy making and priorities. 

Investing in Africa’s agriculture - The role of AATIF & blended finance

10 March 2025. InfoPoint Hybrid Conference: "Investing in Africa’s agriculture - The role of AATIF & blended finance"

RECORDING FORTHCOMING HERE

This InfoPoint session, which was co-organized with AATIF and the FAO Investment Center, showcased AATIF’s impact through firsthand experiences from agribusinesses and financial institutions that have leveraged its support. 

• It detailed how the interplay between investment capital and technical assistance can act catalytically to support the de-risking of investment opportunities, equip companies with tools and capacity needed to manage their growth as sustainable businesses. 
• It provided key insights and lessons learned in designing and implementing EU blended finance instruments for agrifood systems.

The Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF), was an innovative public-private partnership initiated by KfW on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and managed by Deutsche Bank.

• Carla Montesi, Director INTPA F Green Deal and Digital Agenda 
• Doris Köhn, Cygnum Capital, AATIF Fund Manager and Chairwoman AATIF
  The Fund Manager discussed how public-backed junior funding and guarantees mitigate risk, enhance returns, and creates the conditions for commercial investment in agriculture
• Michael Hoelter, Cygnum Capital, Investment Advisor to AATIF
  He shared firsthand insights on blended finance solutions
• Paula Whyte, CFC, Technical Assistance Facility Manager to AATIF
  She shared how AATIF’s support contributed to the expansion, and the impact on local economies.
• Nuno Santos, Deputy Director FAO Investment Center 
  The FAO Investment Centre presented key lessons learned from supporting the European Commission in designing and implementing blended finance vehicles for agrifood systems over the last five years.
• Moderated by Zoltan Agai, INTPA F3 Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries

Related:

15/12/2015. Fostering Investments in African Agricultural Value Chains

• AATIF supports agricultural value chains by providing debt and investments to commercial farms and processing companies. 
• AATIF also provides financing and risk sharing facilities to financial institutions that want to increase lending to producers and agricultural SMEs.

30/06/2023. 5th African Union (AU) – European Union (EU) Agriculture Ministerial Conference

• Sustainable investment in support of agri-food systems - Concept note # 3p.

Public and Private funding of agroecology Research

 

10 March 2025. Brussels. In person meeting of the Collective Action Agroecology.  This is a pre-event before the DeSIRA-Lift conference: Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation for impact at scale (11-13 March 2025 in Brussels).

Throughout 2020-2021, the Global Forum on Agricultural Innovation Research and Innovation (GFAiR) facilitated an intensive consultation process in Asia-Pacific, as well as Africa, Europe and the Middle East. It resulted in the identification of several Collective Actions. One of the Collective Actions is on Agroecology.

6 consortia were selected among 28 applications for the GFAiR call for "Letters of Intention (LoI) on Agrocology": 

1. 
   APIRAS-APAARI consortium. The Asia- Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services (APIRAS, Thailand) consortium consists of Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI, Thailand), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO, Iran), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC, Bangladesh). Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy (SLCARP, Sri Lanka), and Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC, The Philippines). APIRAS jointly with APAARI, has been undertaking efforts to mainstream agroecology in research, extension and education systems in the Asia-Pacific by forming a Working Group on Agroecology (WGA). The WGA has organised three consultations and produced two policy briefs, and an inventory on course curricula on agroecology.
   
2. CACAARI consortium. The Central Asia and the Caucasus Association of Agricultural Research
   Institutes (CACAARI, Uzbekistan) consortium consists of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NASRK, Kazakhstan), Union of Organic Producers of Kazakhstan (qazaqorganic, Kazakhstan), Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU, Armenia), Association for Farmers Rights Défense (AFRD, Georgia), Agricultural Advisory Organization "Neksigol Mushovir" (NGO, Tajikistan).
3. 
   Prolinnova consortium. The Institute of Natural Resources NPC (INR, South Africa) is representing the global Prolinnova network (Promoting local innovation within agroecology and natural resource management. The network was initiated in 1999 when NGOs in the Global South and North – supported by GFAR, the CGIAR NGO Committee & the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs – met in France to explore how to scale up participatory approaches to agricultural
   research and evelopment.
4. PAFO consortium. The Pan African Farmers Organisation (PAFO) consortium consists of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA, Kenya), Knowledge Management, Networking & Capacity Building Associates (KMNCB, Mauritius),FAO-ESS (Statistics Division), ASARECA, CCARDESA, CORAF (Sub-Regional Organizations), National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), Agroecology Coalition Working Group on Finance & Investments.
5. SEI consortium. The SEI consortium consists of Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIANI, Sweden), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU, Sweden), (AgriCord, Belgium)
6. 
   Helvetas consortium. The Helvetas consortium consists of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH, Switzerland), Transformative Partnership Platform (AE-TPP), Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA, Uganda). Helvetas and ETH build on the Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE) and the Inclusive Cities for Nutrition (IC4N) projects, both offering the link to 8 municipalities in Sub-Sahara Africa and South Asia.

This GFAiR meeting is to discuss European funding opportunities for agroecology research and 2 French funding opportunities: The Fonds de Dotation Roullier: call for proposals for soil research (deadline 21 April) and the Fond d'Innovation (FID) (deadline: on a rolling basis).

Extracts of the programme

Community Managed Natural Farming / Rythu Sadhikara Samstha – Farmers’ Empowerment Corporation, an integrated institutional mechanism of the Government of Andhra Pradesh) 

• by Dr. Kodeboyina Sivannarayana Varaprasad (Online): Senior Consultant APAARI, Senior Consultant Senior Consultant APCNF / RySS 
• Reaction to 2 papers which have raised recently some debates among agroecology practitioners, organisations and funders. (see below)

Exploring Agroecological Principles in Practice: Preliminary Survey Results from the FO-RI Program - Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) & AgriCord  

• by Aziliz LE ROUZO of SEI

Agroecology survey: Matrix on potential synergies by Marcos Lana of SLU

Agroecology and the Alliance Bioversity-CIAT

• by Carlo FADDA (ABC, Cali) and Liao Yu-Chun

Activities of Prolinnova South India (host organisation, partners, type of work) 

• by Brigit Letty Chief Scientist Institute of Natural Resources NPC South Africa (Online) & James TJ Country Coordinator PROLINNOVA South India

Agroecological Science and Technology Investment and Development Indicators 

• by Krishan J. BHEENICK in behalf of PAFO

The Asia- Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services (APIRAS, Thailand) by Dr. Rasheed Sulaiman V,

Director, Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP), 

• this consortium consists of Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI, Thailand), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO, Iran), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC, Bangladesh). Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy (SLCARP, Sri Lanka), and Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC, The Philippines). 

More Background on APCNF and private finance

2 papers have raised recently some debates among agroecology practitioners, organisations and funders:

1. Impact of large-scale, government legislated and funded organic farming training on pesticide use in Andhra Pradesh, India: a cross-sectional study - Despite a major government drive for organic agriculture, about half of APCNF farmers continued to use pesticides and no impact on pesticide sales at local retailers was observed. A combination of policy instruments (eg, bans on highly hazardous pesticides), not solely training for farmers, might be needed to eliminate pesticide use in agriculture.
2. Ramdas, S. R., & Pimbert, M. P. (2024). A cog in the capitalist wheel: co-opting agroecology in South India. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2024.2310739 # 23 p. - see also PAEPARD blogpost: Opinion: The utilitarian approach of agroecology

Private finance plays a critical role in the Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) program by facilitating access to capital for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and small-scale farmers. 

• Financial institutions, including commercial banks and international development agencies, actively invest in SHGs, leveraging their collective structure to ensure loan repayment through internal peer pressure. 
• This model enables SHGs to function as financial intermediaries, channeling credit from banks and impact investors to farmers transitioning to agroecological practices. 
• The APCNF framework encourages SHGs to take on broader financial responsibilities, including aggregating farmers into market-oriented organizations, managing production inputs, and facilitating access to e-commerce and climate finance initiatives. 
• However, the reliance on private finance has also raised concerns about the sustainability and equity of this model, as banks prioritize profitability and expansion of credit portfolios rather than genuine support for farmers' livelihoods.

Additionally, private financial actors, including international banks and corporate investors, use APCNF as a testing ground for green finance initiatives such as carbon markets and sustainability-linked investments. 

• Institutions like BNP Paribas and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) have introduced blended finance models, where public funds are used to attract private capital into agroecology. These investments are structured around market-based solutions, emphasizing profitability and financial returns rather than direct subsidies or support to farmers. 
  
  
  

19 February 2025. APCNF SIGNS landmark MoU with US Pegasus Capital & Producers trust USA


The signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) initiative and US-based Pegasus Capital and Producers Trust USA is significant for multiple reasons. This partnership aligns APCNF with global private finance and digital agribusiness, aiming to integrate Andhra Pradesh’s agroecological farming into international supply chains and sustainable finance mechanisms. The involvement of Pegasus Capital, known for its impact investment strategies, and Producers Trust, a blockchain-driven agri-tech enterprise, positions APCNF within a broader market-driven framework. This collaboration is expected to facilitate access to climate finance, market-based sustainability initiatives, and traceability solutions for natural farming products. 

Comment:

While the MoU signals an opportunity to scale agroecological farming with international financial backing, it raises concerns about the implications for local farmers and self-sufficiency. The agreement may prioritize financialization over farmer empowerment, as the integration with digital agribusiness platforms like Producers Trust could shift control of farm produce to global supply chains governed by corporate metrics. Moreover, the introduction of blockchain traceability and sustainability-linked investments may further commercialize APCNF’s natural farming framework, making small farmers dependent on private capital and external certification standards. This shift reflects a broader trend of leveraging public agroecological initiatives for financial speculation, potentially sidelining grassroots-driven, farmer-led approaches.