Biotechnology company Syngenta has launched a call to action at a pre-event during the 2017 Africa Green Revolution Forum, laying out the company’s four key transformation projects in Africa, with an invitation to partners to join them in inventing new business models in African agriculture.
The event on inclusive models for African smallholder productivity ran four parallel group discussions on the most innovative models to have unlocked smallholder activity.
On the right, Pierre Cohadon, Head of Syngenta Africa and the Middle East, and seated, Alexandra Brand, Syngenta’s Regional Director Europe and Africa and Middle East, at Syngenta’s PRE-EVENT during the Africa Green Revolution Forum, Abidjan, addressing the audience on :Inclusive models for African smallholder productivity
A focus project was Mavuno Zaidi, meaning ‘Grow Production’, which is an initiative in Kenya and Tanzania that addresses the challenges faced by potato and tomato farmers. In partnership with ICT company Technoserve, farmers access quality inputs, training on good agricultural practice, post-harvest storage solutions and market linkages.
Over 25,000 Kenyan farmers have so far joined the initiative.
eShamba, in Kenya and Tanzania, which is collecting data and using mobile technology to improve farmers’ access to farming advice and access to finacne, was another of the named initiatives.
In West Africa, Syngenta is partnering with Africa Rice to provide growers with high quality locally adapted rice varieties, resistant to stress, offering the potential to increase yields by up to 20 per cent. In Ivory Coast, the company has also worked to build the Reference Farm Network to improve the skills and resilience of cocoa farmers, and achieve higher cocoa yields and returns on investment.
Each of innovative models ties with Syngenta’s five A-model strategy that seeks to unlock agricultural potential in Africa by bridging the gap in key crops and meeting the demand of a growing population. The strategy aims to create a modern resilient and thriving agricultural market place.
‘To support and empower farmers, our business development team on the ground invests in innovative and holistic business models that address barriers within African agriculture today. We cannot do this alone and to implement at scale requires partnerships with like-minded organizations who bring their own complementary contributions,” said Peter Veal, Head of Business Development Africa and Middle East, Syngenta.
The company’s core goals are to increase awareness and skills through training, achieve the effective and safe use of inputs, open accessibility to local markets at fair prices, open affordable routes to finance and machinery, support aggregation and flexible trading services and the development of broad local retail networks.
“We see AGRF as a springboard to build stronger partnerships with like-minded organizations who share our vision and who can complement our skills and expertise with their own,” said Alexandra Brand, Regional Director Europe, Africa and Middle East Syngenta.
with agrf
