ANAFE-FoodAfrica Programme

13-16 October 2015. Nairobi, Kenya. ANAFE in partnership with the Finish supported FoodAfrica programme implemented by various CGIAR Center including ICRAF, conducted a training workshop for educators and researchers on “Effective communication with users of knowledge”. This training workshop was geared towards sustaining impact from interventions in agriculture. There is a great wealth of indigenous knowledge that would be studied more closely and appreciated if there is effective communication between educators, researchers and users of knowledge.

The objectives of the training were to:

• Share experiences and lessons on best practices in communicating research outputs;
• Equip educators and researchers with skills for effective communication with users of knowledge;
• Provide participants with a manual on effective communication with users of knowledge.

Background:

The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE), is composed of 136 member institutions (universities and colleges) in 35 African countries. The mission of ANAFE is to improve the quality, relevance and application of agricultural and natural resources education and research in Africa.

The FoodAfrica Programme is implemented in six Western and Eastern African countries: Benin, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda. The Programme consists of three thematic components: sustainable food production, food safety and nutrition, and market access and extension.

FoodAfrica Research for Development Programme from Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)

Agribusiness Congress East Africa Conference

28 - 29 January 2015. Dar es Salaam. Agribusiness Congress East Africa Conference. Over 800 agricultural experts convened to debate on finance, best practices and sustainability in the region’s blossoming farming sector.

The conference represented the entire agribusiness spectrum from input suppliers, agro-processors, traders, exporters, retailers, commercial farmers, processors, policy makers and associations. The Agribusiness East Africa conference programme covers topics such as: East Africa as an Agribusiness Investment Destination; Driving the business mind-set in the East African farming community; Finance; Post-harvest losses and sustainable practices; and empowering emerging farmers.

See programme brochure

More leading speakers included:

• Stephen Muchiri, Chief Executive Officer, Eastern African Farmers Federation, Kenya
• Felix Mosha, Chairman, East African Business Council, Tanzania
• Geoffrey Kirenga, Chief Executive Officer, SAGCOT, Tanzania
• Gerald Masila, Executive Director, Eastern African Grain Council, Kenya
• Carter Coleman, Chairman, Kilombero Plantations, Tanzania
• Jacqueline Mkindi, Executive Director, Tanzania Horticulture Association, Tanzania

Expo shows local and global agri solutions

The indoor and outdoor exhibition at Agribusiness East Africa (agri-eastafrica.com) featured a number of leading solutions providers of innovative agriculture related products. Delegates and visitors had the opportunity to meet with these companies and others to discuss their needs.

Innovation and technology were at the forefront of the exhibition where some of the leading suppliers in the industry will display their services and solutions. Over 40 leading local and international companies showcased their solutions, including Impo, Monsanto, Lonagro, John Deere, Syngenta, Afrivet, Ari Trading Post and FMD. The expo also features a German pavilion with well-known agri suppliers including Claas, Grimme and Pottinger.

Related PAEPARD blogspot

Agribusiness East Africa conference 2014

Related:

Agribusiness CurriculumFrameworkBACHELORS, MASTERS AND PHD.
2014 The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE)
Nairobi Kenya
79 pages

Twenty years down the line, ANAFE membership, which has grown to over 130 institutions by 2014, continues to receive numerous requests to support development and implementation of agribusiness curricula with a view to produce experts who can adequately manage current opportunities and challenges in agribusiness. Due to its critical role in socio-economic development, agribusiness has generated a lot of interest in academic and business circles.





Hence, agribusiness curriculum development is a strong component of two programs that ANAFE has been jointly implementing with partners. These are:

1. the DANIDA supported UniBRAIN (Linking Universities, Businessand Research in Agribusiness Innovations) program 
2. and the Sida supported SASACID (Strengthening Africa’s StrategicAgricultural Capacity for Impact on Development).

Reforming Curricula for Agribusiness Education and Training in Africa: 

ANAFE focus for the coming years

Related:

HELPING farmers in Africa grow their businesses is the aim of a new online tool being launched by a Cambridge start-up.

Patrick Guyver and Hamish Drewry have set up AGRIinsight, which brings together information from a range of sources and presents it in an easy-to-understand format for businesses working all over the African continent.

AGRIinsight is an online platform which helps users to connect, collaborate and invest in agribusiness in Sub Saharan Africa. It does this by giving them the ability to:

• overlay and visualise relevant information
• discover new business opportunities
• make better informed decisions.

It is currently being tested by users in Tanzania and Ghana, and is set to launch later this year.

Agribusiness Development and Managing Risk and Uncertainty in African Agriculture: The role of Tertiary Agricultural Education”

25 - 29 August 2014. Yaoundé, Cameroon. Agribusiness Development and Managing Risk and Uncertainty in African Agriculture: The role of Tertiary Agricultural Education”. This symposium coincided with the 20th Anniversary of ANAFE (the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) . 

Over 150 researchers, scientists, students, policy makers, private sector players and persons involved in financing, managing or teaching agriculture, forestry or natural resources management at tertiary level from Africa and Europe are attending that event.

The symposium specifically aimed to:

1. Discuss the elements of risk and uncertainty in agriculture and the roles of TAE;
2. Strategize on mechanisms and policies for coping with risk and uncertainty in agricultural production;
3. Discuss policy and institutional issues for building appropriate capacity for the implementation of agricultural practices which minimize the impact of climate change risks;
4. Discuss curriculum reforms and the need to strengthen agribusiness education in Africa;
5. Reinforce the concept of profitable agriculture through agribusiness and to interest youth and women to advance in agricultural sciences.

Related:

1,3 milliard de FCfa pour la mobilité des étudiants en Agrobusiness

3 juin 2014. Le projet « Harmonisation et amélioration des programmes de Master et de Doctorat en Agrobusiness par la Mobilité intra-Acp pour un développement socioéconomique durable (Haagrim) » a été officiellement lancé à l’Université Gaston Berger en présence du recteur Lamine Guèye, des représentants de l’Union européenne et des ministères de l’Enseignement supérieur et de l’Agriculture. Ce projet est financé par l’Union européenne pour un coût global de 2 millions d’euros. 

Ce programme collaboratif vise à améliorer la mobilité des étudiants et du personnel académique et technique en Agrobusiness afin de favoriser le développement durable dans les pays d’Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique. 

Ce programme a été mis en place, à l’issue du séminaire du Réseau africain pour l’agriculture, l’agro-foresterie et de la gestion des ressources naturelles (ANAFE), tenu à l’UGB en avril 2012. Ce séminaire avait permis de monter le projet HAAGRIM, afin de concourir dans le cadre d’un appel à candidature de mobilité intra-ACP de l’Union européenne.

Les universités partenaires de l’UGB dans ce projet sont : Université polytechnique de Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso), Université de Thiès (Sénégal), Université des sciences et techniques de Masuku (Gabon), Université Abomey-Calavi (Bénin), Kenyaatta University (Kenya), Université of Mauritius (Ile Maurice) Université Félixe Houphouët Boigny (Côte-d’Ivoire).

Agribusiness Education Fair of ANAFE

Participants of the Agribusiness Education Fair being held at the World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

10th – 12th October 2013. Nairobi, Kenya. An Agribusiness Education Fair was held at the World Agroforestry Centre,  The three-day Fair, whose objective to improve Agribusiness teaching, research and practice through stronger linkages between training/research institutions and the private sector brings together academicians, private sector players, Non-Governmental Organizations, policy makers, students and entrepreneurs drawn from across Africa.

The Fair has been organized by the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) and its partners: Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and its UniBRAIN (Linking Universities with Business and Research in Agricultural Innovations) programme, the Pan African Agribusiness Consortium (PanAAC), the Centre for Rural Development Cooperation (CTA), the Association of African Business Schools (AABS) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).

ANAFE’s Executive Secretary, Dr Aissetou Yaye, said the Network has invested heavily in forging stronger and effective links between universities/colleges and business enterprises within the context of agribusiness. This has been done through ANAFE’s tin programs of Strengthening Africa’s Agricultural Capacity for Impact on development (SASACID) and Universities, Business and Research in Agricultural Innovation (UniBRAIN).

The first day of the Fair was graced by ICRAF’s Director General, Dr. Tony Simons; Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo; The CEO of the Pan African Agribusiness Consortium (PanAAC), Ms Lucy Muchoki; Senegalese Ambassador to Kenya, His Excellency Mr. Momar Gueye and Prof. Andre Louw, a prominent agribusiness expert from the University of Pretoria, South Africa among others.

Announcement: Agribusiness Education Fair

10-12 October, 2013. Nairobi, Kenya. Agribusiness Fair entitled "Agribusiness Education Fair: Making Tertiary Agricultural Education and Research more Relevant to Business Development in Africa" to be organized by ANAFE with key partners including, FARA, PanAAC, CTA, AABS and ICRAF, at ICRAF headquarters.

The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) as the key partner for the implementation of the FARA led programme called UniBRAIN (Linking Universities with Business and Research in Agricultural Innovations (UniBRAIN), has been undertaking intensive work for the last 3 years on improving training and practice of agribusiness in Africa at tertiary agricultural education level.

The ANAFE work on Agribusiness education has been further enhanced with a substantial financial support received from the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) for the ANAFE programme dubbed SASACID (Strengthening Africa’s Strategic Agricultural capacity for Impact on Development). Key milestones in this regard are development of agribusiness curriculum frameworks for certificate, BSC, MSc and PhD degree levels; undertaking of tracer studies for agribusiness graduates and development of a strategy for engaging higher education with the Private Sector.

Objectives:

The above actions have ushered a new era of focused interaction between Tertiary Agricultural Education institutions and the Private Sector. The overarching objective of the Agribusiness Education Fair is to:

• To establish a platform for commercializing prototype technologies developed by universities, research institutions and Private Sector groups;
• To Improve Agribusiness teaching and research through stronger linkages between Training/Research institutions and the Private Sector’.

Profile of Applicants

Applicants need to be from education (all levels), research, development, policy, industry or other private sector organizations/institutions dealing with agribusiness at any stage of the agricultural (in a broad sense to cover natural resources) value chain. See folder.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship to enhance graduate studies in agricultural sciences in South Africa

10 June 2013. Brussels. South African Mission to the European Union. A new initiative was presented called the “graduate model for agriculture”, to enhance graduate studies in agricultural sciences in South Africa. The initiative is jointly developed by the South African Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Agricultural Research Council.

The purpose is to build capacity through Masters and PhD students, but with a strong focus on Agri Business. Three academic institutions in South Africa have been identified, based on their already existing expertise in agriculture, their close proximity to critically underdeveloped areas in South Africa and the general community approach of these institutions. These institutions are the Universities of Limpopo, Venda and Fort Hare.

A Centre, for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is proposed, in order to support the above activities and enhance a strong private sector network. The aim of this centre is to integrate private sector activities, research and training in support of innovation and entrepreneurship. This centre will also provide private sector projects.

The main activities of this centre are to:

• Offer undergraduate, graduate and post graduate projects linked to private sector and short courses; 
• Provide administrative support to researchers and companies related to their projects (in the areas of promotion, proposal advising and writing, project management and business management); and 
• Provide technical infrastructures, such as Laboratory facilities 
• Research application and technology transfer to rural communities and farmers in general 
• Extension services (linkages between R&D and extension services) 
• Resource mobilisation for training of farmers, extension personnel, agribusiness facilitators across the value chain 

Through its activities, this centre will contribute:

• To improve students’ knowledge of private sector and to develop an entrepreneurial culture among the students; 
• To provide a quality service to private sector with the main objective of linking to academia; 
• To enhance SMME operations through capacity building; 
• To enrich R&D, teaching and learning activities by providing a better understanding of private sector and farmer needs; and 
• To improve the capacity and competency of the University and student throughput.

Related:

Study on Challenges and Opportunities for Strengthening Tertiary Agricultural Education and Private Sector Collaboration in Africa. 

Marta Zdravkovic (right) talks to ICRAF's 

Head of Capacity Develoment Hassan Mehmood and 

ANAFE's Executive Secretary, Dr Aissetou Yaye (Middle) after 

she made a seminar presentation of her paper at ICRAF campus 

on May 31, 2013

A study was commissioned by The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) to identify the challenges and opportunities for strengthening tertiary agricultural education and private sector collaboration in Africa. The study provides a rich insight in the challenges and opportunities for the UniBRAIN and also other types of university-private sector collaboration. The study was done by Marta Zdravkovic, an MSc student based at the Swedish Agricultural University (SLU).

It argues for effective university private sector linkages: establish proper mechanisms for student placements, enhance the process of curricula improvement, conduct relevant research for industries and formalize of usage of facilities and services by both academic institutions and the private sector. For optimal benefits to be accrued by these parties, they have to restructure their methods of operations and reorient their strategies to fit within a sustainable and mutually beneficial model. This study is not yet publicly available. This study was followed by the development of a Tertiary Education Agribusiness Curriculum Framework.

TEAM Africa Planning Meeting

26 - 28 March 2012. Wageningen. The World Bank and Wageningen University and Research Centre organized a workshop on ‘Support to Tertiary Agricultural Education in Africa’. The Workshop, which was held in Wageningen, the Netherlands, follows on earlier discussions on higher education in agriculture at the Kampala Ministerial Conference (November 2010), the first TAE-Partnership workshop launching it in Ås, Norway (September 2011), and at subsequent meetings in Ouagadougou (November 2011) and Washington DC (December 2011).

Given the level of renewed interest in African TAE, several development partners and knowledge institutions in Africa, Europe and Northern America have initiated this series of discussions to explore how they might scale up and coordinate their support for TAE initiatives in Africa. The Wageningen workshop was intended to further strengthen this TAE-Partnership and to be the next step in that effort.

Specifically, the workshop participants discussed:

1. Lessons learned from past and current programs of support to TAE in Africa;
2. Africa’s plans for TAE (as expressed by the leaders of the TEAM Africa initiative) and how best to support them;
3. Possible forms through which development partners might increase the coordination and alignment of their support for TAE in Africa;
4. Next Steps towards achieving better coordination of development partners, and further alignment with the African agenda for TAE.

The workshop brought some 60 African, North American and European stakeholders in agricultural education together, including Development Partners (World Bank, USAid, DGIS, AFD, CDA, FAO, CTA, DAAD, NUFFIC, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GlobalHort), Regional Coordination Fora (FARA/CAADP, RUFORUM, ANAFE, Team Africa) and African as well as northern universities and knowledge Institutions (APLU, AGRINATURA, Université d’Abomey Calavi, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Stellenbosch University, Michigan State University, OHIO State University, Université de Liège, Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, the University of Helsinki, Finlkand, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Wageningen UR, the Netherlands’ Royal Tropical Institute, the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, SupAgro and Agreenium from France, NRI/University of Greenwich, UK and ICRA.

The workshop participants discussed new mechanisms to support TAE in Africa by assessing lessons learned from past and current support programs, and by matching possible new initiatives with Africa’s own plans for TAE, as expressed in Pillar 4 of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme of NEPAD, and by the World Bank supported TEAM Africa initiative. The latter comprises of a new coordination unit, hosted by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Development in Agriculture (RUFORUM) and the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE). Specifically the Wageningen Workshop aimed to align the various North American and European donor support mechanisms as well as (bilateral) university partnership programmes and how best to support them.

Boosting Agricultural Higher education into CAADP

28th to 30th November 2011. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resource Education (ANAFE), ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Cooperation (CTA), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the NEPAD Coordinating Agency, CORAF-WECARD and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) held a Sensitization workshop for Engaging French Speaking African Higher Agricultural Education Institutions into CAADP.

Other key partners of the organization are the University of Ouagadougou, University of Abomey Calavi (Benin), the Association of African Universities (AAU), the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES), the Conference of rectors of Universities of Francophone West Africa, Central and Indian Ocean (CRUFAOCI), the Network of Institutions of higher Education in
Fishing (Afri-FishNet), the European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for development (Agrinatura) and the French consortium Agreenium.

During the three days conference, a number of papers were presented, followed by debates and discussions, and propositions made. This led to the following results:

• An increased awareness about the objectives, the constants and the expected outputs of the CAADP;
• A better understanding of the role to be played by Universities and other agricultural higher education institutions in cooperation with their supervisory ministries and those in charge of agriculture;
• The massive presence at the meeting of Universities, other higher education institutions and technical and financial partners, is a testimony of their willingness to be involved in actions undertaken for the attainment of the CAADP objectives;
• Important activities were formulated which will lead to a stronger involvement of agricultural training institutions;
• Concertation frameworks were proposed with CAADP, ANAFE, RUFORUM and FARA which will be able to serve for interaction between Universities and Agricultural training institutions.

Resources:

• Boosting Agricultural Higher education into CAADP
• Relance de l’enseignement supérieur Agricole à travers le programme détaillé de développement de l’agriculture en Afrique(PDDAA)